Seven - AO Tennis 2011 media kit - Seven West Media

NEIL KEARNEY
REPORTER
- AUSTRALIAN OPEN
A champion spinner of truly outstanding yarns for Seven at the Olympics,
Commonwealth Games and almost every other sporting event Australians hold
dear, it’s only fitting Neil Kearney reports at the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific.
“It's the high point of Melbourne's summer, a friendly time for families and
visitors, and - on a sporting level - it's fascinating to follow the knockout
elimination process that gets more and more dramatic as the field reduces by half
every second day until - finally - there are just two players still standing,” says
Neil.
Neil recalls his favourite memories of covering the Open seeing players come to
the fore during the tournament and captivate the crowds.
“In successive years, we saw Marcos Baghdatis and Fernando Gonzalez come
from the pack to make the finals, and similarly with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Open
really throbs with excitement when these emerging players capture the public's
imagination,” says Neil.
Neil’s humour chuckles through when asked for his winner predictions.
“I think the mens’ winner will be Roger Federer; maybe one last Aussie Open. I
think the womens’ winner will be Venus Williams. In Serena's absence, Venus
will be trying to please mum.”
Neil’s TV career began in 1984 when he joined Willesee as a specialist reporter.
He later featured prominently on A Current Affair and went on to produce and
present a high-rating series called Kearney’s Characters. He also produced
award-winning documentaries on events and personalities as diverse as The
Kentucky Derby horse race and the late Ayrton Senna.
Tennis fans can once again look forward to his unique reporting style during
Seven’s coverage of the Australian Open.