Off the Ball: Where is the next Brett Steven?

WYNNE GRAY wonders why New Zealand tennis players are missing the ball.

For some reason the question kept repeating itself throughout the French Open tennis tournament.

Perhaps it was because a number of New Zealanders had been excelling themselves in a variety of events on the global sports stage. Scott Dixon had been charging in the Champ Cars motor racing, Leilani Joyce at squash, Michael Campbell and Co in golf.

So why had New Zealand produced such sporadic stars on the men's world tennis circuit? A similar question could be posed about New Zealand athletics, but that may be another column. Once Brett Steven gave the circuit away it seemed no one else in New Zealand played tennis, certainly nowhere near his level, with Mark Nielsen ranked the best now at a shade over 400.

In recent times, New Zealand had a connection with world tennis through Steven, Kelly Evernden, Chris Lewis, Jeff Simpson, Russell Simpson, Bruce Derlin, Onny Parun and Brian Fairlie, and in the women's game, Belinda Cordwell. That confluence has evaporated.

At first glance, tennis seems to be a game which would suit New Zealanders. It's an outdoor sport, involves a mixture of speed, stamina, agility and discipline, and most kids have some sort of access to courts in this country. Where the game was once dominated by Americans, the spoils are now being shared with players from Brazil, France, Spain, Australia, Sweden, and many points beyond. Not a Kiwi in sight or sound.

The exploits of New Zealand stars such as Steven, Evernden and Lewis has not encouraged a list of up-and-coming talent like we have seen on the golf scene. Tennis is not seen as a "hot" sport to be involved in, certainly not as magnetic as golf.

In New Zealand, it must compete with many other sporting codes and where families would once have all been involved in the sport, now just the children go to a club for some coaching.

Tennis is not the societal sport it was, its importance has been undercut by weekend trading and changes in lifestyle. Observers suggest children are less athletic than the days when they ran or biked to school. Being chauffeured everywhere has softened them physically and mentally.

There are several hundred tennis coaches in New Zealand, but there is a feeling that too many are glorified ball machines rather than offering technical expertise.

With New Zealand Tennis providing events and camps, but not funding junior teams, there is not the stable base from which the sport can grow.

Tennis struggles with a reputation as an elitist sport, one which involves a huge financial investment from those aiming for the top. There is little tennis on free-to-air television, it is not such a fashionable focus for sponsors, and Polynesians, especially males, do not gravitate towards the sport.

So how in the name of Anthony Wilding will New Zealand get more players ranked in the top 100? Unlike golf, where you can build into a career, tennis is not so forgiving. Once progress is stopped or derailed - Andre Agassi and Jennifer Capriati aside - resurgence is extremely difficult.

Youngsters hoping to break into big-time tennis have to go offshore for coaching and competition.

But many who leave in search of tennis prosperity cannot cope with the brutal life of a professional.

It seems the next Kiwi star will be self-made, and like Steven, Evernden, Lewis and the others, he will be driven, he will make it happen, though he still needs the pathway for him to achieve his potential.