Rafael Nadal of Spain, left, and Deb Boirg, an Australian firefighter celebrate as they play a game of tennis together during the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Tennis stars have come together for the Rally for Relief to raise money in aid of the bushfire relief efforts across Australia. (Scott Barbour/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - A capacity crowd of more than 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena watched Roger Federer defeat Nick Kyrgios in a one-set finale to the Australian Open's Rally for Relief to aid wildfire charities on Wednesday.
Tennis Australia said the night helped raise nearly 5 million Australian dollars ($3.5 million) for the victims of recent and ongoing fires in Australia that have killed 28 people and destroyed several thousands homes, most of them in New South Wales and Victoria states.
Smoke haze from the continuing fires has played havoc with scheduling of the first two days of qualifying at Melbourne Park, delaying play by several hours and prompting complaints from players over the air quality.
Other players who took part included Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Alexander Zverev. On several occasions, volunteer fire personnel were invited on the court to play against the tennis stars.
The fund-raising efforts, which includes various amounts for aces served during the tournament and the sale of merchandise donated by players, will continue when the Australian Open begins on Monday.
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From left, Roger Federer of Switzerland, Nick Kyrgios of Australia, Naomi Osaka of Japan, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem of Austria, Serena Williams of the United States, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, Coco Gauff of the United States, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and Rafael Nadal of Spain pose for a photo during the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Tennis stars have come together for the Rally for Relief to raise money in aid of the bushfire relief efforts across Australia. (Scott Barbour/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press
From left, Naomi Osaka of Japan, Coco Gauff of the United States, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, and Alexander Zverev of Germany pose for a selfie during the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Tennis stars have come together for the Rally for Relief to raise money in aid of the bushfire relief efforts across Australia. (Scott Barbour/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press
From left, Rafael Nadal of Spain, Serena Williams of the United States and Novak Djokovic of Serbia participate in the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Tennis stars have come together for the Rally for Relief to raise money in aid of the bushfire relief efforts across Australia. (Scott Barbour/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press
Roger Federer of Switzerland, second right, and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, fourth right, pose with Deb Borg, third right, and fellow Australian firefighters during the Rally For Relief at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. Tennis stars have come together for the Rally for Relief to raise money in aid of the bushfire relief efforts across Australia. (Scott Barbour/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press