MELBOURNE, Jan 15 Reuters Melbourne prides itself on serving up the world39;s best coffee, but finding a hot brew at the Australian Open has proved a challenge for some of the tens of thousands of fans attending this year39;s Grand Slam tennis tournament.

Organisers have worked hard over the last decade to improve options for refreshment and an array of outlets at the Melbourne Park precinct now offers everything from gourmet food to cocktails.

Yet long queues face fans looking to indulge their passion for the city39;s favourite beverage at the 15 coffee stores Tennis Australia says dot the 40hectare 99acre site.

We need more coffee places open, said Katherine Wright, who has been coming to the tournament for the five years as she lined up for a hot drink near the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday.

We are big coffee drinkers, especially Melburnians.

The Australian Open attracts more than 90,000 fans a day early on in the tournament, when ground passes are relatively cheap, offering the chance to watch main draw action on the outer courts.

Liz, another Melburnian, said she stood in line for half an hour for a cup of coffee on Sunday, when rain halted play for six hours on the outer courts.

This is a wellestablished global event, she added. You actually need to be providing better service to the consumer.

Melbourne imports about 30 tonnes of coffee beans a day, the Australian Science Education Research Association says, representing a surge of nearly eightfold over…