WS Chronicle

In above photo: Tennis ball and Tennis ball racket

Special to The Chronicle

The Winston-Salem Open will hold tryouts for ball persons on Friday, July 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The tryouts are open to the public and will be held at the Wake Forest University Indoor Tennis Center, 100 West 32nd St. (adjacent to BB&T Field).

Candidates for ball persons must know how to keep score of tennis games, be able to move quickly, be willing to endure lengthy tennis matches in the sun and work well with others on a team.

Ball persons must be 12 years old by Aug. 1 (proof of age required) in order to qualify.

All applicants are asked to attend a minimum of three of the two-hour training sessions from 4 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 5, 10, 12, 17 and 19 at the Wake Forest University Indoor Tennis Center.

Also, applicants must be available for the entire Winston-Salem Open tournament and qualifying rounds Aug. 22 through 29.

“The primary role of ball persons is to retrieve tennis balls when they are out of play. Ball persons play very important roles in each match. Our ball persons have been an integral part of the Winston-Salem Open in past years,” said Winston-Salem Open tournament director Bill Oakes. “Being a ball person is a great way to get involved in tennis, see the competition up close and have some fun at the same time, but it’s also a serious commitment.”

Oakes said all applicants must be knowledgeable about tennis rules, be able to stand and run for a least an hour and must be able to concentrate for extended periods.

They also must be mature, have good hand-eye coordination and exhibit outstanding citizenship.

“I also want to stress that ball persons must be willing to attend three of the five training sessions we’re offering and be available for possible work during the entire tournament,” Oakes said. “There are no exceptions to these rules.”

Applicants are asked to wear appropriate athletic clothes to the tryouts and cannot wear shoes with black soles. Ball persons serve as volunteers, and there is no fee to apply.

More information, including online registration, is available at WinstonSalemOpen.com under the “Volunteers” tab at the top.

About the Winston-Salem Open The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of more than $695,000, will take place from Aug. 22-29, with qualifying set for Aug. 22.

The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and is the week before the US Open.

For more information on the 2015 Winston-Salem Open, please go to WinstonSalemOpen.com.