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Mercer's tennis coach looking to hire ball runners for upcoming tournament

Mercer Tennis Coach Eric Hayes is paying up to 20 ball runners $10 an hour to help assist the Mercer Tennis Classic

MACON, Ga. — Professional tennis players are in Macon to compete at the Mercer Tennis Classic this week.

Mercer's Head Coach Eric Hayes needs help to make sure the matches run smoothly.

"We're looking for ball runners. It has to be just like at the U.S. Open, we have that level of players," Hayes said. "We've got a lot of Mercer students that are going to help, but we're looking for more."

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Assistant Coach Nicolas Guillon and senior player Sachin Khurana explain what it takes to be a good ball runner.

"Be very quiet first and stand on the corner, don't bother the players when they play," Guillon said.

"After they miss their first serve, you would go run through the net or to the back court to pick up the ball, so that way, no balls are on the court in case they accidentally hit one and roll their ankle, that wouldn't be very good for the player," Khurana said.

Ball runners are also responsible for giving players towels when needed. Hayes says it's an important role in a tennis match. He's offering $10 an hour for anyone who'd like to sign up.

"You're limiting the movement of the players, and you're tracking a ball throughout the match. You have to be aware. It really helps the flow of the match go quicker, it literally cuts off, I'd say 10-15 minutes per match, by helping us assist with the balls," Hayes said.

"In a match you only have 25 seconds as a player between points, so that is something that they shouldn't have to think about is where their balls are coming from or if they have their towel," Khurana said.

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Aside from getting a little work out in, Hayes says it's a chance to be around some of the best tennis players in the world.

"We've got a couple players, top 100 in the world here, and players that were at Wimbledon, U.S. Open, Australian Open, it's great tennis," Hayes said.

"It's the best front row seat you can get, as long as you don't mess up," Khurana said.

Hayes says they're looking to hire about 15-20 ball runners. 

The tournament starts at 12 p.m. Tuesday and goes until Sunday, October 27. If you're interested in signing up, you can call Coach Hayes at 478-973-1955.

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