By Alana Mitchelson
Three Tennis Hot Shots players from Pakenham Regional Tennis Centre had the opportunity of a lifetime to be involved in coin tosses on Rod Laver Arena during the second round of the Australian Open.
Throughout the first eight days of the Australian Open hundreds of lucky Hot Shots participants were given the chance to step on to centre court in front of thousands of people and be involved in the coin toss for their tennis heroes to decide which player would begin on serve.
For some of these children it was their first Australian Open experience.
Eight-year-old Nicholas Pop was especially lucky to meet this year’s Australian Open men’s champion Roger Federer as well as his US second-round opponent Noah Rubin.
Seven-year-old Shaun Visagie tossed the coin before Americans Stefanie Voegele and Venus Williams came head-to-head, while five-year-old Thomas Elstone met the defending women’s champion Angelique Kerber and her second-round opponent Carina Witthoeft.
ANZ Tennis Hot Shots is Tennis Australia’s official development program specifically designed for primary school-aged children between five and 12 years, with smaller racquets and a closer service base line.
