Melbourne, Australia, 11 January 2012 | Tennis Australia

The men’s and women’s qualifying tournaments will be streamed live in the final countdown to the year’s first Grand Slam, Australian Open 2012.

Streaming will begin at 9.45am on Wednesday 11 January with a preview, before qualifying kicks off at 10.00am. Coverage extends through to Saturday 14 January. The main draw ceremony, MLC Kids Tennis Day and player press conferences will also be streamed, giving fans a whole new level of Australian Open access and coverage.

Fans worldwide can watch the free live streaming on australianopen.com, the Australian Open YouTube channel and Australian Open Facebook page. The interactive coverage will allow fans to comment via Facebook and tweet their thoughts using the hash-tag “#ausopen”.

“Live streaming will provide fans with comprehensive live coverage and an enhanced experience of the build-up to Australian Open 2012,” Tennis Australia’s manager of digital media Kim Trengove said today.

The qualifying action will be broadcast live from Show Court 3, with wireless camera coverage keeping fans abreast of news and results from Courts 5, 6 and 7, as well as around the grounds at Melbourne Park. The streamed coverage will be hosted by Brett Phillips and will feature a line-up of special guest commentators.