Easing tensions: East Timorese refugee and now elite tennis stringer Pin Lay is serving players at his 11th Australian Open. Credit:Simon Schluter

If you think the top tennis players face pressure at the Australian Open, spare a thought for the racquet stringers.

Let’s say a player is unhappy with how they’re thwacking the ball. Did you know that even mid-match they can ask for their racquets to be re-strung?

The people tasked with easing (or tightening) such tensions are the 25 elite stringers from around the world working at this year’s Open, which starts on Monday.

The sole Victorian stringer at Melbourne Park is Pin Lay, whose clients include men's world No. 2 Rafael Nadal, women's No. 1 Simona Halep and Australians Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova.