Young pair walk on with stars at Eastbourne

Eva Couchman-Seal and Tyler Willard, both from the Bexhill area, were the mascots for Karolina Pliskova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova respectively in their last 32 match on Centre Court at Devonshire Park. Second seed Pliskova overcame her Russian opponent 6-3 in the third set.

The young pair, both five-years-old, had a fantastic day and are keen to get back on court so maybe one day they can be playing in such an event.

Tennis for Kids is the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) largest initiative to get more children into the sport and is aimed at those who have never played before.

It offers those aged 4-11 a six session course in addition to a racket, set of tennis balls and personalised Tennis for Kids t-shirt for the price of £25. Courses focus on rudimentary tennis skills and ensure children have fun while getting active in a relaxed environment.

Tennis for Kids first started in 2016 following Great Britain’s historic Davis Cup win in November 2015. GB Davis Cup captain Leon Smith and the wider team are passionate about getting more children into tennis and inspiring a new generation, so were therefore instrumental in designing the programme.

Eva and Tyler are both new to tennis this year and in addition to participating in the player walk-on, they met Smith, saw former world number one Andy Murray practice on court and received an autograph from three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka after his hit on court.

Tennis for Kids has already inspired more than 50,000 children to try tennis for the first time since its inception in 2016. To find your nearest court and book a place for your child, please visit www.tennisforkidsco.uk

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