History Kooyong Classic

former world no. 1 andy roddick co-holds record titles michael chang , andre agassi, winning 3 times in 2006, 2007 , 2008



former world no. 1 andre agassi appeared in 6 finals between 1998 , 2004, winning 3 , losing three



1989 french open champion michael chang won 3 back-to-back titles 1995 1997, beating yevgeny kafelnikov once, pete sampras twice

the first kooyong exhibition tournament took place in 1988, year australian open moved courts of kooyong lawn tennis club, had become small host event, newly built national tennis centre @ flinders park (which become known melbourne park in 1996). initiated colin stubs, still director of tournament in 2009, first kooyong invitational created continue tradition of having world-class tennis tournament @ kooyong lawn tennis club. set in december 1988, allow participants prepare 1989 australian open, , played on club s traditional grass courts, sixteen-men event comprised fifteen australian players , goran ivanišević croatia, , saw victory of 1988 australian open runner-up pat cash on countryman wally masur in final.

as started sponsoring partnership colonial mutual in 1990, tournament (known colonial mutual classic 1990 1992, colonial classic 1993 2001) changed competition format eight-men round-robin tournament, each player of 2 four-men groups playing 2 round robin games, , third match standings. tournament s success increased during colonial-sponsored years, , started attract more , more international players, outside of australian constituency, became important warm-up event first grand slam of season –the 1 held in same city open, in melbourne. first non-australian champion crowned in 1991, when australian open quarterfinalist goran prpić croatia defeated richard fromberg title, , first all-foreign final came in 1993, eventual world no. 1 thomas muster austria edging russian alexander volkov. 1993 kooyong tournament included first time eight-players women s event, running concurrently men s. first women s colonial mutual classic featured all-australian final, 1992 barcelona olympics doubles bronze medalist rachel mcquillan defeated fellow bronze medalist nicole provis in 3 sets.

the next year, colonial classic held in mid-january one, before 1995 australian open, , switched grass hard courts, make playing conditions closer of rebound ace-surfaced grand slam tournament. new-style colonial classic (back being men s tournament) saw american champions pete sampras, andre agassi , michael chang starting compete, latter starting series of 3 victories @ event 1995 1997. eventual 2003 wimbledon championships runner-up mark philippoussis australia won last edition played in round-robin format in 1998, 1999 event first played under current promotion/relegation system, swede thomas enqvist coming off winner. agassi became successful player @ event after 1998 runner-up finish, reaching 5 more finals consecutively 2000 2004 (beating philippoussis in 2000, yevgeny kafelnikov in 2001 , sébastien grosjean in 2003). commonwealth bank took on sponsorship of tournament 2002 2004, transforming colonial classic commonwealth bank international, before event went sponsorless in 2005, known kooyong classic, world no. 1 roger federer switzerland collected first title in kooyong.

australian associated motor insurers limited (aami) picked event s sponsorship in 2006 three-years contract, renewed in 2009 -starting tournament s run aami classic. 2003 open champion andy roddick tied countrymen chang , agassi 3 titles (2006, 2007, 2008), roger federer won second title (2009), fernando verdasco became first spanish champion @ event (2010), before 19-year-old bernard tomic (2012) , former world no. 1 lleyton hewitt (2011, 2013) claimed 3 consecutive titles australia.

questions rose concerning kooyong event s future, new tune-up events australian open flourished, mubadala world tennis championship in abu dhabi or national year-end championships masters france. different ways improve tournament studied promoter colin stubs include lengthening beyond 4 days (despite roddick s withdrawal in 2009, due three-match format being taxing according american), reviving short-lived women s event, or allowing retired players compete.