Tennis: Kiwi wildcard KP Pannu stunned by physical demands of first ATP tour match at ASB Classic

KP Pannu was beaten in the first round of the ASB Classic by Richard Gasquet. Photo / Photosport

Local wildcard KP Pannu admits he “lost his legs” in his debut ASB Classic performance on Monday night, as the physical demands of competing at that level were too much.

Pannu was bounced out at the first hurdle, falling 6-3 6-3 to French veteran Richard Gasquet.

The Wellington player had some memorable moments early on – but couldn’t maintain the standard required across the 80-minute match.

There was a vast gulf in experience. Gasquet has played more than 950 tour matches and Pannu was making his debut, and it showed.

The 36-year-old Frenchman, ranked No 67, dropped only three points on serve across the match and neatly controlled the tempo, with his use of angles, slice and spin.

But world No 575 Pannu was competitive until 3-3 in the first set, when he was broken after an extended game.

At that stage, the physical demands started to bite.

“I lost my legs and tried to take a toilet break and change and get them back,” said Pannu, who was still dripping with sweat minutes after the match. “But I couldn’t and, at this level, if you feel gassed and you run out of steam, there’s just nothing you can do.”

From there it was downhill. Pannu never gave up but lost the bite on his serve and the feel on his groundstrokes.

“I thought I was prepared but I couldn’t hang in there,” said Pannu.

It was a reality check for 25-year-old.

He was coming off an extended block of domestic matches but the fitness base wasn’t enough.

“If I want to compete at this level, the physicality needs to get a lot better,” said Pannu. “I just need to sit down with the Tennis New Zealand fitness coaches and just kill myself in the gym.”

But Monday was also about learning, in front of a packed house, in what Pannu described as an “amazing” experience.

“Despite the result and the score, which is very disappointing, I’m proud of the way that I competed and went toe to toe with a former top 10 player,” said Pannu.

Pannu promised he wouldn’t be overawed by centre court experience and so it proved.

He served well early, banging down several wide aces, and looked confident, charging to the net to put away some sliding volleys.

The 25-year-old also did his best to rouse the crowd – urging more support – and they loved a delicate drop volley in the seventh game, that crept over the net by inches.

But the unforced errors crept in from there, as Gasquet’s class started to show and there was less intrigue, as the Frenchman eased to the finish line.

Gasquet, who boasts numerous wins over top-10 players, including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, will face fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo (world No 30) in the second round on Wednesday.