Every summer, the world's best tennis players come to Australia to compete in the Australian Open.

At the same time, 300 kilometres away, the stars of the future stage their own championship, in country Victoria. Among them, 16 of the Pacific’s top juniors. Brendon Telfer checked out the action.

Brendon Telfer: The junior Australian tour is a chance for the region's up and coming players to test themselves against Australia's top juniors in 3 weeks of regional tournaments that criss-cross the Victoria and New South Wales state border.

Are the kids able to hold their own against Australia’s best here?

Dan O'Connell, ITF Oceania Development Officer: Very hard for us to hold our own against the best but I would say it is improving. They are better more experienced, which means the players are getting better.

Brendon Telfer: The 16 players from the Pacific are based at Fiji. They’re on scholarships at the International Tennis Federation's Oceania development program.

Prince Matautia, Samoan player: Pretty tough many players and yeah pretty tough. It's kind of different because we train on hard court but then we have to play on grass, so it's alright, but it’s kind of different.

Litia Godinet, American Samoan player: They’re a bit of a challenge but it’s way different from hard court. It’s just the bounces and how fast the ball goes, it’s very different so you have to be really fast.

Brendon Telfer: The ITF tennis Centre began life back in 1991 in Lautoka in Fiji. As it has expanded it has looked to overseas for recruitment. Current ITF tennis coach is Taylor Wain who began his career here in Albury as a player.

Talor Wain, Oceania Head Coach: We don't get a lot of match play back in the islands so to be able to come here and play three tournaments in a row and be able to come back home for me is a great thrill for all of us.

Brendon Telfer: So how do they go then when they thrown into the cauldron like this?

Talor Wain: They go better than they think they do. A lot of the time, the kids at this age it’s purely results based ,they see nothing but a score line ,whereas us as coaches, we see development, we see little things that they’re doing right. So we have just got to keep reminding them that this isn't the end point, their tennis is going to get better and this is just an experience for them.

Brendon Telfer: But there were successes on the Australian tour. Samoa's Steffi Carruthers took out the under 16 girls in Wodonga, while Annie Shannon and Lorish Puluspene from Papua New Guinea took out the under 12 girls' doubles in three tournaments, perhaps the first steps towards becoming the first Pacific player in the world's top 100.

Dan O'Connell: I want to say that's a goal, that would be one small goal and if that happens that is outstanding but I think to develop our sports at all levels.

Phil Shanahan, tournament director: Look if you were to have them here full-time in your own program, wouldn’t we create some world ranked players. They’re gifted athletes, they’ve got such great composure on court, they try so hard.

Talor Wain: I guess talent worldwide there’s not a lot of difference, for me the difference comes when you get that match play, you get that experience.

Brendon Telfer: But it’s not just about tennis. There's a strong emphasis on life skills and education.

Dan O'Connell: In the last five years, because our kids have good study habits and have done well academically, we have had 15 kids graduate from the ITF programme in Fiji and all 15 have gained full tennis scholarships to universities in the States. So it’s not only the time that they are with us, it's about helping someone for life.

Zinnia Leamana, Solomon Islands' player: It’s very amazing, it has taken me to a lot of places and a pretty fine life too.

Brendon Telfer: And you've met lots of people?

Zinnia Leamana: Oh yes a lot of people, good friends that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Brendon Telfer: Pacific players have been competing in Australia for seven years, and in turn inviting their new Aussie friends to play in Fiji.

William O'Connell. Fijian player: We make them feel welcome, like there's going to be another big group of them coming for our Fiji Open so we'll have lots of fun there.

Phil Shanahan: Children are billeted here and they have developed wonderful friendships, which have now taken them overseas where the children are still involved in the lives of the children from Fiji.

Brendon Telfer: When the competition is over, the Australian families farewell their Pacific guests, with a traditional country BBQ.

The visitors say their own special goodbye.