Rich and famous lob up for a serve of tennis

Scott Farquhar in the crowd during the 2020 Australian Open Women's Tennis final at Rod Laver Area in Melbourne. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

It is the night when billionaires and their bankers get to rub shoulders with the cream of the sports world, along with legendary thespians.

The Australian Open men’s final has become bigger than the Melbourne Cup, a magnet for Australia’s corporate heavyweights.

Maybe even running neck-and-neck now with the AFL Grand Final.

Tennis Australia chair Jayne Hrdlicka was seated on Sunday night next to the legendary Rod Laver.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg managed to attend with wife Amie, seated not far from a cream-suited predecessor-cum Nine chairman Peter Costello, who had a minor ticketing issue on entry to Rod Laver Arena with wife Tanya resplendent in a golden frock.

Matt Comyn was there as was the former Commonwealth Bank boss David Murray and his wife Stephanie. Not far away was Tabcorp chair Paula Dwyer.

The omnipresent trend, on and off the court, was the changing of the guard.

Steve Smith and wife Dani Willis. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Paula Dwyer. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Cricketing legends included Shane Warne, the recently retired Peter Siddle and batsman Steve Smith, who went sockless.

ANZ boss Shayne Elliott was there next to billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and wife Annie. Ryan Stokes, the heir apparent at Seven Group, was on his other side with his wife Claire. There’s seemingly no issue for the young Stokes to turn up to the Nine event.

The billionaire bonanza included Lindsay Fox with his signature jumper around his neck, eating an icecream as the sun went down. Harry Triguboff took ex-ANZ chair Charles Goode and our very own Bob Gottliebsen.

Veteran actor Barry Humphries was front row in a white suit, hopefully avoiding the tennis sweat, with wife Lizzie Spender. Brian Brown dressed in a navy jacket, almost a regular guy, nowhere near the heady officialdom.

Glen Bartlett from the Demons dined at Nobu before being spotted at the game, as was National Basketball League owner Larry Kestelman, and legends of the track and ring Wayne Gardner and Anthony Mundine.

CSL chief Paul Perreault and Netwealth joint boss Matt Heine, a Richest 250 member, were also spotted in the corporate hosp­itality.

Barry Humphries, centre, and wife Lizzie Spender, right, at Rod Laver Arena.

Hewitt flying solo

Early seats were taken for the Sunday afternoon men’s doubles match by champion, Lleyton Hewitt, there with young son Cruz carrying three racquets.

The boys were drinking Solo, like modern men do. They sat next to Tony Roche.

Why Josh lobbed

With the smell of Mallee topsoil in the air and red rain again falling, it wasn’t hard for Josh Frydenberg to sniff the political wind and make a last-minute cancellation to attend Hugh Marks’ elaborate hospitality at Melbourne Park for the women’s final between Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza on Saturday night.

Ben Fordham, Rodger Corser and Hugh Marks in the front row. Picture: Getty Images.

The federal Treasurer had been expected as a high-profile guest of second-year Australian Open broadcaster Nine, fresh from an emergency meeting of his boss Scott Morrison’s National Security Committee to consider local implications from the coronavirus epidemic.

Mike Cannon-Brookes, Shayne Elliot, Ryan Stokes, with Lindsay Fox behind them.

Marks was seen sitting alongside his 2GB afternoon drive talent Ben Fordham in the front row of the stadium, flanked by Nine’s enduring programming chief Michael Healy and similarly long-serving news and sport boss Darren Wick. The newsman brought Melbourne-based A Current Affair journo-daughter Ashleigh Wick along for the show.

Copping a serve

This time last year newly installed PM ScoMo was brutally booed by tennis fans when he was officially welcomed to the international tournament, so it was little surprise to see pollies of all persuasions thin in the stands. The trickle of pollies included Paul Fletcher and Alan Tudge.

Trained by Triguboff

It loomed as the Richest 250 equivalent of the changing of the guard when billionaire Harry Triguboff was spotted chatting with property mogul up-and-comer Tim Gurner just before the women’s final started on Saturday night. Not so fast though. Introduced by ANZ boss Shayne Elliott, the two could have been discussing whether Gurner could ever close in on billionaire status.

Ahmed Fahour and Craig Drummond.

That was Margin Call’s deduction anyway, given we heard Triguboff tell the spritely Gurner with a wry grin that “maybe one day you’ll get there”.

As usual, the old President’s Reserve — now named the “O” section — was full of identities including the quieter half of the Atlassian success story, billionaire Scott Farquhar.

Veteran property billionaire and keen tennis fan John Gandel was a fixture in the stands and swanky Founders Club (by invite only and costing $75,000 for three years) during most of the past two weeks.

Changing of the guard

Those who attended earlier matches were likely seeing the changing of the guard, with their favourites Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer seemingly ending their decade-plus-long dominance. Attendees included the likes of Square Peg boss Paul Bassat, Graincorp chair Graham Bradley, former Qantas chair Leigh Clifford, Coke boss Alison Watkins, and Catch of the Day founder Gabby Leibovich.

Celebrity spectators

No Anna Wintour this year, but Gladys Knight headlined the international icon attendees with her women’s final appearance. The empress of soul is doing a concert tour, starting in Perth tomorrow.

Local celebrities included comedian Celeste Barber and husband Api Robin, who enjoyed the women’s singles final. Barber, who recently raised over $50m for Australia’s bushfire relief charities, was seated just above Victorian Premier Dan Andrews. Actress Rebel Wilson had watched on as our No 1 Ash Barty lost to Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals. Eric Bana watched Federer and Djokovic battle it out in their semi-final, accompanied by his wife Rebecca Gleeson.

Paul Perreault from CSL. Picture: Stuart McEvoy.

Virus 1, China 0

Sun Kitchen, the premium Sichuan dining experience in Melbourne’s Albert Park, popped up at the Australian Open with a restaurant marquee, featuring drinks by Guojiao 1573, a major Chinese sponsor of Australian Open. Margin Call dined there yesterday, starting with 1573-infused drunken abalone with jellyfish and ginger, then salt and pepper calamari followed by lobster san choi bao. None of the twilight diners wore masks, but Margin Call gleans plans to bring at least 1000 Chinese sponsors and dignitaries to Melbourne for the weekend were hit by the coronavirus.

Peter Costello watches Novak Djokovic in action. Picture: Mark Stewart

Rod’s recipe

Brands go all out at the Australian Open, with many seeking out GOAT. Last year the greatest player of all time (GOAT), Rod “Rocket” Laver promoted the Dunlop brand by signing some tennis balls, without too much hoopla. Laver has been a Dunlop devotee since getting a racquet aged 14. This year Laver was the star in the latest ad out of Uber Eats “Tonight, I’ll be eating” tennis campaign, which had only 2000 plus views in its first 24 hours on Instagram.

Matt Heine.

It took him back in time as he ordered Rockhampton barramundi, potato chips plus some rocket salad as his courtside dinner order. Of course the 11-time Grand Slam winner was born in Rockhampton, Queensland in 1938.

Another ambassador for Uber Eats this year was Magda Szubanski, who rebooted Sharon Strzelecki as a ball girl with Serena Williams, who was again accompanied down under by her husband Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit.

Sophie’s choice

As the 14-day festival concluded, no sign of Love Island host Sophie Monk, who’d paired up with comedic KIIS FM hosts Will and Woody for the tennis spoof Get Your Racquet On marketing campaign. Creative agency Landor’s brief was to support Tennis Australia’s vision to create a playful world through tennis. It had over 100,000 views in its initial 24 hours on Instagram.

John Gandel.