ASB Classic brings world-class tennis to Auckland with top 50 players

With Lulu Sun, New Zealand tennis has a truly homegrown contender in the singles – its first for a long time. Photo / File

Opinion

Every sport should have its day in the sun, an annual event that attracts the interest of people who do not normally follow the sport – or perhaps any sport – closely. Tennis has its time in the sun today, weather permitting, and for the next two weeks as some of the world’s top 50 players compete in Auckland.

The organisers and sponsors of the ASB Classic do well to give us this event every summer. Several cities in Australia are also staging preparatory tournaments in the weeks leading to the first grand slam event of the calendar, Melbourne’s Australian Open. The competition to attract players is keen.

Auckland uses more than a modest purse to keep players coming back. It aims to provide them with a warm, friendly, enjoyable experience of Auckland’s summer attractions in between the hours of practice and play they require as they begin another year on their professional tours.

Watching these players from courtside – and few stadiums in the world put you as close to them as Auckland’s does – is to see athletes who have to be superbly fit. Few sports are as gruelling as tennis at this level, where every standard shot has to be pounded with full force and fine accuracy.

That is as true of the women’s game these days as the men’s. Whether it’s the women this week or the men next week, the power and precision on court will be a revelation to anyone who has seen this level of tennis only on television.

New Zealanders seldom have a Kiwi contender in the event these days but this week we have Southland-born Lulu Sun. Next week Auckland educated Cameron Norrie will return for the men’s Classic.

Each of them reached this level of the game living in other countries. It is a long time since New Zealand tennis has had a truly home-grown contender in singles. The ready excuse is that we are a long way far from places where champions are nurtured in hothouses of junior competition.

While we wait for New Zealand tennis to produce the next Marina Erakovic or Brett Steven, we can but acknowledge the dedication it takes from a very young age to succeed in global sports. Hundreds of talented players set out on the tennis circuits every year. Very few make a fortune.

Tournaments are graded to give more players a chance to earn what they need for travel and accommodation. Those above a certain ranking cannot enter the ASB Classic. But that restriction means Auckland can get an early glimpse of rising stars.

Lucky local tennis fans remember seeing a little-known Spanish teenager name Rafael Nadal on an outside court at Stanley Street.

Interest will be focused this week on former world No 1 Naomi Osaka and crowd favourite Emma Raducanu. Both have languishing careers after early success and could make this week the start of a better year.

But sometimes drawcard players disappoint us because they are pacing themselves for Melbourne. It’s the unheralded professionals who are more likely to shine here and show us tennis at its best.