Sampras will play in Australian Open

Australian Open chief executive Paul McNamee said on Tuesday he was confident U.S. Open champion Pete Sampras would compete in next year's Australian Open in Melbourne.

Sampras, who claimed an unprecedented 14th career grand slam title at Flushing Meadows last month when he beat Andre Agassi, hinted in New York that he may bring his glittering career to a close at the end of the year.

McNamee, however, expects the 31-year-old to try and add to the Australian Open titles he won in 1994 and 1997. He also anticipates world number one Lleyton Hewitt being the man to beat after an illness-induced first round elimination at his home grand slam at the beginning of this year.

"Pete clearly, when I touched base with him during the U.S. Open, was absolutely intending to play at the Australian Open," McNamee told a news conference at the Australian Open tournament launch in Sydney.

"Lleyton won't have chicken pox this (next) year," McNamee added of the Wimbledon champion.

"I think if he gets a sniff, it will go off the Richter scale, the whole support. I mean, you've got to keep your fingers crossed for the number one player in the world."

Prize money for the January 13-26 Open has risen by 10 percent to A$18.2 million ($9.8million), to be split evenly between the men and women, Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard said.

"It promises to be a landmark year with Serena Williams on course to win a career Grand Slam in singles (and) Lleyton Hewitt looking to be the first Australian in 27 years to lift the men's singles title," an Australian Open media release said on Tuesday.

Sweden's Thomas Johansson beat Russia's Marat Safin in this year's final after American Jennifer Capriati defeated former champion Martina Hingis in the women's final. Safin had beaten Sampras in a fourth-round classic.

Ken Rosewall, 68, will mark the 50th anniversary of becoming the youngest ever winner of the men's singles title at age 18 by playing in the legends event at the Open.