Sydney, Jan 23(ANI): Tennis fans are benefiting from a new technology trend to bring them drinks and beat the queues at the Australian Open at a rate of 29 dollar per hour.

Through Richmond-based start-up Sidekicker, tennis fan Vesa Prekazi and her friends hired a helper, Katrina Hedditch, to battle the food and drinks lines while they watched the action, the Herald Sun reports.

Prekazi said as simply as sending a text message she posted a job on the iPhone app and within 30 minutes Sidekick Katrina was on her way to help her.

The service links a team of 80 pre-screened 'sidekicks' with people posting assorted small jobs and errands, the paper added.

When the job is completed, the poster pays by credit card at a rate of 29 dollars an hour, the paper further said.

Co-founder Jacqui Bull said the service usually provided office assistants, event hospitality workers and personal assistants.

Bull said this has been one of the more quirky jobs i.e. having a helper at the tennis match.

Bull said the service was a response to people having less time and businesses finding it harder to get quality, short-term assistants into their company, adding the standard of sidekicks was high, including many university students and graduates. (ANI)