Tennis: Doubts over top players for Davis Cup

The possible unavailability of top-ranked players Dan King-Turner and Rubin Statham has delayed the naming of the New Zealand Davis Cup team.

The team to face Pakistan in a second round Asia/Oceania group match in Hawera on July 9-11 was to have been named yesterday.

However, it is understood New Zealand No 1 King-Turner may make himself unavailable. King-Turner is playing club tennis in Germany and is believed to be reluctant to return for the tie.

Second-ranked Statham is also yet to agree financial terms, leading to the team announcement being postponed for at least a week.

The absence of King-Turner and Statham would severely weaken the New Zealand team. King-Turner has a world ranking of 248, while Statham is ranked 391. Both have received regular wildcards into the Heineken Open.

The next highest-ranked players are Michael Venus (529), Marcus Daniell (648) and Oliver Statham (716).

Heineken Open doubles champion Daniell is the top-ranked doubles player at 200.

Tennis New Zealand events and operations manager Tracey Hall said the team did not need to be confirmed until June 25.

"All of the players are still in the mix including Dan," Hall said.

"We are just working through the contracts and schedules."

King-Turner was considering his schedule and the effect playing in the tie - which could rule him out of tournament play for up to three weeks - would have on his ranking, Hall confirmed.

Davis Cup captain Marcel Vos is keen to select US-based college player Austen Childs, who recently made the final of the NCAA tournament.

Childs was also runner-up in last year's NZ Residential championships, where he was defeated by Daniell.

Meanwhile, Marina Erakovic has won her first singles match at WTA level for over a year. The former New Zealand No 1 posted a straight sets victory over 11th-seeded Hungarian Melinda Czink at the Edgbaston Classic in England.

The 7-5, 6-4 victory was her first at WTA level since February 2009, when she beat American Melanie Oudin.

That result saw Erakovic's ranking rise to career-high 49. However an horrific run of injuries followed by poor form has seen her tumble to 629.

She used an injury-protected ranking to enter Birmingham, a grass court tournament that serves as part of the build-up to Wimbledon.

She next faces either veteran American Jill Craybas or Czech Lucie Hradecka, who were due to play their first-round singles match overnight.