20 January 2023 , 14:21
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The ball kids who worked until after 4am as Andy Murray progressed in the Australian Open were only paid for their work with a gift bag and meal ticket.
Murray came from two sets down to win the epic second round match against Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5. The match was the longest in the career of three-time Grand Slam winner Murray who slammed officials for not halting the game stating that it "ended in a farce" due to the 4am finish.
The world No.66 said: "If my child was a ball kid for a tournament and they're coming home at five in the morning, as a parent, I'm snapping at that. It's not beneficial for them."
Australian site 7 News revealed that the ball kids at the Australian Open aren't paid for their work unlike at the US Open and Wimbledon. They reported that the children aged between 12 and 15 are given a 'gift bag and food allowance' for their work.
An estimated 2,500 children in Australia applied for the volunteer position and went through a year-long selection process.
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Ball kids at the Australian Open receive a gift bag instead of payment despite working until the early hours (Getty Images)At Wimbledon the ball kids receive £200 each for the whole tournament while at the US Open they earn around £8.40 an hour. The Australian Open changed the job of ball kid from a paid one to a volunteer position in 2008.
Murray didn't take to the court at the Rod Laver Arena until 10.20pm and fought back from two sets down to win the five-hour and 25-minute epic with some fans labelling the Scot 'super human' for his effort. However, he felt that playing after 4am took away from his performance.
(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Should a rule be introduced to stop tennis matches finishing too late? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section
“It ends in a bit of a farce," added Murray. "Amazingly people stayed until the end, and I really appreciate people doing that and creating an atmosphere for us at the end.
"It's not beneficial for the umpires, the officials. I don't think it's amazing for the fans. It's not good for the players. So yeah, we talk about it all the time, and it's been spoken about for years. But when you start the night matches late and have conditions like that, these things are gonna happen."