An Australian Open spectator says there was a "dangerous crowd crush" at Melbourne Park on Monday night as thousands of people left Rod Laver Arena following Roger Federer's late night match.
More than 15,000 people attended Roger Federer's grand slam return against Austrian qualifier Jurgen Melzer.
![The crowd leaving Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.](/web/20170118135859im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/t/c/6/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gttc5g.png/1484653530646.jpg)
Among them was Michael Brennan who said the crowd leaving Rod Laver Arena was poorly managed by Open organisers.
He said hundreds of spectators started making their way across the footbridge between Melbourne Park and the MCG - known as the Emirates Skydeck - only to discover it was blocked off by gates at the other end.
![Roger Federer attracted a capacity crowd for his grand slam return on Monday night.](/web/20170118135859im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/s/n/u/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gttc5g.png/1484653530646.jpg)
He said there was no adequate signage to give people advance notice that the bridge was closed.
"At the end of the match I'd estimate 500 fans entered the walkway from the river side, only to realise the exit was blocked so they turned around to find hundreds of others had filled them into the walkway," he said.
"Some people started climbing the gates."
He fears what would have happened had there been an emergency.
![The crowd leaving Rod Laver Arena after Federer's late night match.](/web/20170118135859im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/t/c/6/k/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gttc5g.png/1484653530646.jpg)
"Confronted with nowhere to go, what are the public expected to do in an emergency?
"There would have been a tragedy."
![The gates blocking the MCG footbridge.](/web/20170118135859im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/t/c/6/u/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gttc5g.png/1484653530646.jpg)
Mr Brennan said opening the walkway would have alleviated the "very dangerous crush" that occurred, as people tried to make their way back across the footbridge to Melbourne Park.
"[The closure of the bridge]Â prevented fast, safe express from half the area. Instead, fans had to walk half way around the arena to the entrance by the the tram stop which, guess what, was jammed with people waiting for a tram!" he said.
![Fans leaving Melbourne Park on Monday night.](/web/20170118135859im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/t/c/6/w/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gttc5g.png/1484653530646.jpg)
"Perhaps as many as a third of all the fans were channelled into a three-metre wide exit immediately in front if the tram stop and with a sharp right turn to a narrow walkway for those who needed to to walk across toward the MCG.
"This was the most ridiculous and dangerous crowd crush I have ever experienced.
![A map of Melbourne Park, showing the Emirates Skydeck that leads to the MCG.](/web/20170118135859im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/t/c/a/1/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gttc5g.png/1484653530646.jpg)
"Whilst there were numerous staff on duty, there was no attempt to channel fans 'left' for the tram and 'right' for the MCG."
He suspected the footbridge was closed during the Australian Open only to prevent members of the public watching players practising on the outside courts without paying for a ticket.
In a statement Tennis Australia said: "At no point on the evening was a crowd crush observed or reported.
"Peak times of egress can be busy, however Tennis Australia works closely with Melbourne and Olympic Parks to ensure the safe exit with staff on the ground as well as comprehensive CCTV surveillance to manage and anticipate crowd movements at busy times."
Tom Larner, director facilities and events at Tennis Australia, added that the footbridge between Rod Laver Arena and the MCG had not been used as an entry or exit point during the Open for the past decade.
"The MCG bridge has been closed for many, many years … about the last 10 or 15 years. We do have signage there that advises there is no exit at that point," Mr Larner said.
"We had a full house [on Monday] night for Federer, which was fantastic, and exiting 15,000 people from the venue made it busy, but it was certainly manageable."
One side of footbridge has been opened for the past four years to allow spectators to use it as viewing platform to watch players on the practice courts, but not as an exit point.
"It's just too thin to have an exit. It's not wide enough to be a main exit, or entry – it's not sufficient to cater for a large exit," Mr Larner said.
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