Queenstown brothers Riki and Ben McLachlan will be rubbing shoulders with the elite when they compete in the Australian Open junior tournament next year.
The pair, along with rising Canterbury star Jordan Kelly-Houston, have just had their spots in the tournament confirmed.
Kelly-Houston is at No 34 on the acceptance list, while Ben and Riki are 40 and 42 respectively.
Kelly-Houston was seeded second for the New Zealand under-18 tournament that started yesterday, while Ben McLachlan (16) was third and Riki (17) fourth.
The McLachlans have made rapid strides on the national scene and are both ranked inside the top 150 juniors in the world.
Both have won national age-group titles and have experience overseas.
One of their coaches, Lan Bale, is excited about their latest achievement.
"To be in the main draw of the juniors for the Australian Open is something pretty special," Bale told the Otago Daily Times from Auckland yesterday.
"It's one of the biggest junior tournaments in the world, so it's a big deal.
''It's a long way off from being in the main draw for the seniors but it is significant."
The junior tournament runs during the second week of the Australian Open, which runs from January 19 to February 1 at Melbourne Park.
Bale said the boys would have access to all areas at the event and could find themselves in the proximity of players such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
