Harcourt tennis player Willow Kelly was thrilled to be selected for a once-in-a-lifetime experience when she stepped onto Rod Laver Arena for the pre-match ANZ Coin Toss at the Australian Open 2022.
Willow, 11, was elated to flip the ANZ Commemorative Coin to commence the round four match between Australia’s Ash Barty and American Amanda Anisimova on Sunday January 23.
Willow, a talented young tennis player in her own right who plays A Grade tennis for Harcourt in the Marong Association and Junior A Grade tennis in the Bendigo competition, said it was an incredible experience.
“I just got given a date and time and as the day got closer we realised there were only three matches to be played that evening and Ash’s was one of them!” Willow said.
“When I found out I was doing the coin toss for Ash and Amanda’s match I couldn’t believe it! I was worried I was going to muck it up but I did okay.”
Unfortunately, Willow’s idol Barty didn’t win the toss but she did go on to win the match.
“They were both lovely. Ash said ‘hello’ and gave me a fist bump,” she said.
Willow got to keep the commemorative coin as a souvenir of her experience and had the chance to enjoy the first set of the match from the side of the court.
“It was unbelievable to be that close to the action,” she said.
The 2022 ANZ Commemorative Coin features Australian tennis legend Margaret Molesworth (1894-1985) who won the inaugural women’s singles title at the Australasian Championships 100 years ago in 1922, and successfully defended her title the following year. Recognised as one of the top 10 players in the world at the time, Molesworth also became one of the first women to coach tennis professionally in Australia following her retirement from competition.
The commemorative coins gifted to the 2022 ANZ Coin Crew feature an image of Molesworth engraved on the ‘heads’ side of the coin, and a tennis ball alongside the ANZ logo on the ‘tails’ side.
Willow is among 150 lucky youngsters given the opportunity to flip the coin at the grand slam.
This year marks the fifth year of the ANZ Commemorative Coin – with previous years featuring newly named Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, Rod Laver, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Kerry Melville Reid and Judy Tegart Dalton.
