It was a good news, bad news day for tennis fans yesterday.
The bad news came when Heineken Open top seed and the world's fifth-ranked player, Argentine Guillermo Coria, withdrew from the tournament.
The good news is that TVNZ will broadcast live three of today's quarter-finals.
Originally, TV2 had said itwould cover only tomorrow's semifinals and Saturday's final.
But Brazilian television confirmed it would take coverage of Gustavo Kuerten's quarter-final against American fifth-seed Vince Spadea today, prompting TVNZ to cover the tennis from 11am. "We intend to have the tennis live until 4pm but if play goes longer we will stay on air until that third quarter-final finishes," said TVNZ's head of production and sport, Denis Harvey.
Kuerten v Spadea will be that third match on centre court.
"We are pleased we could work something out. We had someone offshore who was prepared to meet the cost which helped us make this decision.
"It comes down to economics. We also had to get over the programming difficulties."
Basic coverage of Kuerten's second-round win over Spaniard Alberto Martin yesterday was provided by TVNZ to Brazilian television - but without commentary.
Coria, who had a scan on an abdominal strain on Tuesday night, tested the injury yesterday morning but withdrew on medical advice.
That decision handed unseeded Slovak Dominik Hrbaty, the 2001 open champion, direct entry to the quarter-finals where he will play unseeded German qualifier Philipp Kohlschreiber in tonight's feature match.
Coria appeared on court at the ASB Bank Tennis Centre at his scheduled start time yesterday to apologise to his fans.
"Obviously, I am very sorry. I will try and do my best for the rest of the year.
"I will stay in Auckland for three more days for treatment and hope to be fit for the Australian Open."
