Hundreds of Brisbane resident have joined Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, tennis greats Pat Rafter, John Newcombe, Ashley Cooper, Evonne Goolagong and many other living legends to open Brisbane's $82 million Queensland Tennis Centre.

To officially open the centre, Pat Rafter, who lends his name to the brand new main stadium of the Queensland Tennis Centre, hit a few balls with Ashley Cooper, head of Tennis Queensland. --------------------------------- -------- GALLERY: Open for business: Queensland Tennis Centre --------------------------------- -------- Also present were 50s champion Frank Sedgeman, Mal Anderson, Ken "Muscles" Rosewall, former World number one John Newcombe, and the son of the late Ken Fletcher, double's partner to Margaret Court.

Rafter teamed up with Queensland junior Isabella Holland for a mixed doubles exhibition match against Australia's highest ranked women's player, Samantha Stosur and Queensland teenage star Jason Kubler.

Watching on, Brisbane residents Vivien and Graeme Nash were reminded of their memories of the old State Tennis Centre at Milton, which closed more than a decade ago.

"We saw Lindsey Davenport play in the last competition at Milton in 1992, when she was just a teenager," Mrs Nash said.

"The seats are much better than at Milton and we'll soon see if the tennis is too."

Another difference from Milton is that the Tennyson site boasts all three of the surfaces played in international competitions.

Outside the state of the art stadium, a family with three generations of tennis fans, was making a day out for the official opening. Sharon Bretherton with her mother Marie Fitzpatrick and daughter Anna Bretherton, 2 were taking in the sights of the all-new world class facility.

"My five-year-old Daniel is inside watching Pat Rafter, just totally in awe," Mrs Bretherton said.

"If today can inspire him when he plays tennis, that would be a great experience for him."

Mrs Bretherton, of Yeronga said the centre "feels like it belongs in Brisbane".

"It's great having such a nice place right in your own backyard," she said.