surface_played_on sydney international
Plexicushion is an acrylic - based ___MASK78___ tennis surface and one of the surface types used on the professional Association of Tennis Professionals and Women ' s Tennis Association tours . It is manufactured and sold by sports surfaces division of California Products Corporation , a company based in Andover , Massachusetts . The Sydney International ( formerly known as the Championship of New South Wales and New South Wales Open , with various title sponsors ) , sponsored as the Apia International Sydney as of 2012 , is a professional tennis tournament in Sydney , New South Wales , Australia . The tournament is played annually at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre in Homebush . It is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world , dating to 1885 . The tournament is currently noted as an ATP 250 point event on the men ' s tour and a WTA Premier event on the women ' s tour . The tournament is held annually in January immediately prior to the Australian Open as a lead up tournament as part of the Australian Open Series . A ___MASK78___ ( or hard court ) is a surface or floor on which a sport is played , most usually in reference to tennis courts . They are typically made of rigid materials such as asphalt or concrete , and covered with acrylic material to seal the surface and mark the playing lines , while providing some cushioning . Historically , hardwood surfaces were also in use in indoor settings , similar to an indoor basketball court , but these are now rare . The Australian Open is a major tennis tournament held annually over the last fortnight of January in Melbourne , Australia . First held in 1905 , the tournament is chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events of the year  the other three being the French Open , Wimbledon and the US Open . It features men ' s and women ' s singles ; men ' s , women ' s and mixed doubles and junior ' s championships ; as well as wheelchair , legends and exhibition events . Prior to 1988 the tournament had been played on ___MASK21___ . Since 1988 two types of ___MASK78___ surfaces have been used at Melbourne Park  green Rebound Ace to 2007 and blue Plexicushion from 2008 . Rebound Ace is a cushioned tennis ___MASK78___ composed of polyurethane rubber , fiberglass , and other materials on top of an asphalt or reinforced concrete base . It is manufactured by California Products Corporation ' s Sports Surfaces division .