Kiwi kid Grayson Verran tosses the coin at the Australian Open

Weiwei Verran – a keen tennis player and the first ethnic liaison officer for Bay of Plenty Police – said she and her son travelled to Australia for the fourth match of the Australian Open.

A keen tennis player and the first ethnic liaison officer for Bay of Plenty Police has helped her son live out a dream by tossing the coin at the Australian Open.

Weiwei Verran and her son Grayson travelled to Australia for the fourth match of the Open.

Grayson performed the coin toss to start the match between Australian Open title defender Sinner of Italy and the United States’ Marcos Giron.

Sinner went on to win the match and defend his title.

Seeing himself on the big screen at Rod Laver Arena was incredible for Grayson.

“They interviewed him after the match and he was on the big screen, the emcee asked him what his favourite food was.

“Green chicken,” he answered.

“I think he meant green curry chicken,” Weiwei said with a laugh.

“Those words came out on the green screen so the crowd were laughing,” she said.

Weiwei said she entered him into the competition through Hot Shot Tennis, a programme for children he had been competing in since he was 4 years old.

“I just totally forgot about that until a few days before Christmas.”

After learning he had won, the pair flew to Melbourne the day before the match, for Grayson’s first time in Australia.

They headed straight to Melbourne’s China Town for dumpling noodle soup once they’d checked into the hotel.

“The trams in Melbourne are cool,” he said.

He was “nervously excited” in the hours before his starring role.

Sitting courtside, next to his mum, he enjoyed the pre-game laser show and a Beetlejuice-themed performance.

“I’ve seen both movies,” he said.

He said his dad had shown him how to practise flipping a coin before he got on the plane.

“The actual coin is a bit heavier than a real coin.”

His mum had told him Sinner was the world number one, so Grayson let him call the toss.

Weiwei said she had lived in Rotorua for 20 years and played competitive tennis at the Rotorua Tennis Club “for many years”.

“I’m a very competitive tennis player that’s why I want Grayson to play.”

She said Grayson won the Rotorua Club championship for his age group last year.

“For me, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to watch Grayson toss the coin at the Australian Open,” she said.

Weiwei said since returning home, Grayson had not stopped wearing the Australian Open shirt he was gifted after the game.

“I have to wash it while he’s sleeping and put it back,” his dad said.

Grayson said his new goals were to “train more” and “get better” at tennis.

“It is my favourite sport,” he said.

A Tennis New Zealand spokesman said Hot Shots was where many Kiwi kids started their tennis journey.

“We had huge interest in this competition from young players across the country.

“Grayson was a fantastic representative for New Zealand on the biggest tennis stage in the world, and we know he had plenty of Kiwis behind him in the crowd.”