Hits & misses: Playing for honour and the glory

From tennis courts, cricket wickets, golf courses and bowling greens, that was our sporting week ...

HITS

The Heineken Open: Tennis at its best, despite the weather which at times threatened to ruin the country's showpiece tournament. That Gustavo Kuerten, the Open's main attraction, turned up trumps made whatever dollars the organisers shelled out well worth it.

Peter Braem: Hardly a household name, but this 29-year-old Belgian has been a welcome addition to the stretched ranks of senior jockeys in this country. A hat-trick of wins at Avondale, including the big race on Icey Red, showed he knows the ropes in what is surely not the easiest way to make a living.

The New Zealand Open: Golf as it should be. No appearance fees, just a bunch of the best who want to play for the honour and glory. In luring so many of our best back without waving a dollar in their face, the organisers did everyone a favour. Tiger who?

Daryl Tuffey: Good guys can win. A series of steady rather than spectacular performances in both forms of the game deservedly earned the Northern Districts paceman the international cricketer of the year award and a new car.

The New Zealand Stingrays: The largely unsung water polo team going head to head with Australia's best continued their encouraging start to the season with their first win in five seasons over the hot-shot Perth side.

Gary Lawson: The oft-maligned one who gives greens a new meaning, completed his comeback to the national bowls side with a string of stunners at the national championships. Only the "Rock," Rowan Brassey, stopped Lawson in his tracks in his bid for more fours glory.

MISSES

Jeff Wilson: The golden one again sidelined through injury. No one ever suggested his comeback to cricket would be easy. Otago need him even if he hasn't been a huge contributor in what has been a better than expected season for Glenn Turner and his team.

New Zealand's top order: While the bowlers have done their bit - and forget all this talk about bowler-friendly pitches, the Indians had the same opportunity but didn't take them - New Zealand's so-called run-grabbers haven't. We can but hope a poor dress rehearsal will be followed by ...

Hyung-Taik Lee: Four days after his upset win over world No 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero in Sydney, the Korean headed south and walked wham-bam into Andre Agassi and was dispatched 1-6, 0-6, 0-6 in 80 minutes. The fairytale - and his Australian Open - was over.

The Oceania Football Confederation: Bowing to the smaller nations in having New Zealand and Australia lumped together in the same pool at the under-17 qualifying tournament. Shane Watson: The lippy Australian who thinks just because he has the same first name as the great one he can lead the sledging brigade. Come on. With just 16 wickets at 37.31 in 21 one-dayers, he would be better to let the ball rather than his big mouth do the talking.