KEY POINTS:
It would be an unthinkable slight now but in January 2000 a little-known Swiss player by the name of Roger Federer lined up against future world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero on court six for a first-round match at the Heineken Open.
Arguably the greatest tennis player of
all time was consigned to one of the back courts for what has turned out to be his only appearance in Auckland - all 68 minutes of it.
At the time, the 18-year-old Federer was ranked 61 in the world, having risen from 302 in the previous 12 months. But he was no match for the 19-year-old Ferrero, himself ranked 45 at the time and on his march to No 1, being ingloriously bundled out 6-4 6-4.
Federer came to Auckland with the tag of a potential champion; a good all-rounder with a majestic single-handed backhand in an era of metronomic double-handers.
He showed glimpses of that potential in front of the 100 or so spectators perched under the leafy trees, especially the backhand, but was too erratic against Ferrero and lacked the mental toughness that sets him apart today.
"I don't honestly remember watching too much of it because it was on court six but when I've spoken to Roger subsequently and asked him if he might come back to play in the Heineken Open he keeps joking that we only ever put him on court six," Heineken Open tournament director Graham Pearce said.
"The only possible response I can give him is that, 'you didn't play very well and got beaten so why would we put you on court one?' We would put him on court one now."
That is beyond dispute.
Each year Pearce tries to entice a couple of up-and-comers, like Federer and Ferrero, to Auckland. Last year it was Frenchman Gael Monfils, who has slipped to 38 in the world after a career-high 23, and in 2006 it was Scotland's Andy Murray, who has since risen to 11 in the rankings.
Bjorn Borg, Marcelo Rios and Rafael Nadal have also all played in Auckland. Nadal was beaten by Dominik Hrbaty in the 2004 final and Rios returned when he was No 2.
This year, Sam Querrey's the up-and-comer. The 1.98m-tall American with a blistering serve (he once smacked down a record 10 consecutive aces, and 36 in all, in a win over James Blake) is already ranked 63 after his first full year on tour.
Argentinian Juan Monaco and Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, the tournament's third and sixth seeds respectively, were also singled out by Pearce as players on the rise.
"We have had a number come through here who have gone on to do very well," Pearce said. "Sometimes there's a distance between showing potential and realising it.
"This is the sort of tournament, with our position before the Australian Open, where we get those players on their way up. It's great for the spectators because they can say they saw players like Roger Federer."
Even if it was for only 68 minutes, and on court six.
