Tennis stars to play fundraiser for Australia bushfires

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - World famous tennis stars Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal will play a charity match on Jan. 15 to raise funds for victims of Australia's bushfires, according to a local daily on Wednesday.

The trio will participate in the fundraiser event at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne next week, said The Australian.

In addition, Naomi Osaka of Japan -- the female winner of 2019 Australian Open (AO) -- will join the event.

Caroline Wozniacki, the 2018 AO champion, from Denmark will also participate.

Wednesday's AO Rally for Relief Exhibition Match tickets, sold for $54 and $35, can be purchased from ticketmaster.com.au, said the AO on its website.

"All funds raised from AO Rally for Relief will be donated to the bushfire relief cause," it added.

"This unprecedented bushfire crisis is devastating people, properties, communities, livestock and animals across the country and our hearts go out to all those affected," Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said, adding that they will announce the line-up for Wednesday's charity event.

Melbourne is set to host the 2020 AO which will start on Jan. 20 and conclude on Feb. 2.

Bushfires in Australia, which started last August and continue to rage in the summer months in the southern hemisphere, have wreaked havoc.

"Around 1.25 billion animals may have been killed directly or indirectly from fires that have burnt 8.4 million hectares [over 20 million acres] across Australia, equivalent to the whole of country of Austria," World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

The death toll from the fires has reached to 20 this week.