Benalla’s Finn Walsh and Liam Thivillier-Lefebvre are gearing up for this year’s Australian Open with perhaps the best seats in the house.
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From more than 3000 applications, Walsh and Thivillier-Lefebvre are two of the 310 new and returning Ballkids members set to shine at this month’s major Australian tennis event.
The event will mark Thivillier-Lefebvre third time as a member of the Ballkids squad, and while Walsh was a ball kid for the wheelchair nationals last year, this year will be extra-special as he is set to experience his first Australian Open.
Speaking of his experiences as a Ballkids member at the Australian Open last year, Thivillier-Lefebvre rattled off a few of the more high-profile players he came across.
“I did the semi-final last year with Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas; I did Alex de Minaur and Maria Sharapova on Margaret Court,” Liam said.
“This year I’m hoping for a few more players.”
For Walsh, while he also hoped for some high-profile players, he said he would be happy for anyone to come across his court.
Thivillier-Lefebvre said the experience of being a Ballkids member was something he would forever cherish.
“It’s a cool environment to be in, you’re so close to the players, it’s nothing you’ll experience even getting the front-line tickets,” he said.
“It’s so much different, and just being that close and interacting with them is something special.”
Being in the centre of all the action can take things to a whole new level.
“Especially when it’s a close match, like the de Minaur match which went for five sets, and towards the end the crowd gets really involved and energetic,” Thivillier-Lefebvre said.
“You just have to take it in.”
Both players currently play tennis in the Benalla Lawn junior competition.
● Applications for the Australian Open 2021 Ballkids program are now open at tennis.com.au/ballkids
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