Sutton shows good ball skills
2 February 2012
The Sutton Tennis Academy was in full swing last Saturday as over 200 eager applicants vied to make it through to the final trial to become a Barclays Ball Kid. Children between the ages of 12-16 turned up in their droves to see if they had what it takes to make it to the top where they would walk out on court with the likes of Federer, Murray and Nadal at the end of season Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London.
Steven Zahui (age 13 from Plaistow, London), Ashleigh Campbell (age 15, Streatham), Emily Boden (age 14, Reigate), Sam Sharpe (age 15, Aylesford), Christiana Corbyn (age 14, Tadworth), Jake Southwick (age 13, Mitcham), Joshua Eastwell (age 15, Epsom), Becky Brown (age 15, London), Ashutosh Patel (age 15, Morden), Aoife Janmohamed (age 14, Esher) and Madeleine Barrow (age 15, Epsom) were the kids that showed the most promise on the day.
They will now take the short journey to the Westway in London on April 28th for the final selection trial where the heat will really be turned up on the 100 finalists. An array of tennis greats will cast their eye over the best ball kids the UK has to offer and help to pick a final squad of 30 for the world's most prestigious and glamorous indoor tournament at The O2 in November.
Steven Zahui was thrilled to have taken part, saying:
“I went on to the Barclays website and saw that there was a trial in my area so I signed up straight away. I’d love to be a Barclays Ball Kid and if I was chosen as one of the final thirty it would be amazing – I would get to see the top eight players in the world! Awesome.”
It is an opportunity these kids will never experience again and they are one step closer to living the dream. Many aspire to play tennis at a high level and others have previously sampled a glimpse of the big time as Wimbledon ball boys.
Whatever happens at the final trial in London, these kids have been given an opportunity to do something different, something that they can be proud of. If they also get to walk out on court with Murray and Federer then that is simply a bonus. From thousands of applicants from all over the UK, they are already amongst the top 100. All that stands between them and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is one more gruelling session of skill and determination. This is their opportunity to impress. This is their chance to shine under the bright lights of The O2.
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