Tennis: Jones nets wildcard as aims become loftier

The ambitions of Sacha Jones continue to thrive with the 19-year-old Aucklander looking to use next season to step up efforts to play regularly on the WTA tour.

She is yet to decide how to attack the next month, though. It follows confirmation from Auckland Tennis that Jones is expected to be named as a wildcard with fellow Kiwi Marina Erakovic for the ASB Classic starting on January 4.

Jones was due back in New Zealand last night following an extended transit back from Japan. She was knocked out in the second round of a US$75,000 tournament near Tokyo last week. But that follows a stellar recent spell where she secured three US$25,000 ITF titles in Australia, one in the US and finished runner-up in a US$50,000 event.

Her Mum Sue says next year provides a clearer picture: "Her ranking is currently 168 but it could come down as low as 158 after recent results - so she will focus on playing the qualifiers at all the Grand Slam events, as well as the tier below them."

ASB Classic tournament director Brenda Perry agrees with that approach.

"The key for me will be seeing her going out to test herself regularly against players in the top 150." It all starts with the eight qualifying spots available on the outer courts of Melbourne at the Australian Open in January.

Meanwhile, one Auckland Tennis revenue stream is set to get a boost from the ASB Classic.

Ticket sales and sponsorship are the main earners but there is a trickle-down effect from broadcasters in China and India interested in the participation of world 15th-ranked Li Na and 58th-ranked Sania Mirza. Although Auckland Tennis pays TVNZ a fee to broadcast the tournament domestically, the governing body then sells the overseas rights to Swedish company IEC in Sports who then on-sell it to networks in interested countries.

Auckland Tennis marketing and communications manager John McEwing says their income is then based on a match-by-match scenario.

"There's a revenue-share there for us as a certain percentage but let's just say it's in the thousands rather than the millions."

Na is the first Chinese woman to make the top 20 and a grand slam quarter-final (Wimbledon 2006). She also made the top four at the Beijing Olympics before losing the bronze medal play-off. The WTA has also established a permanent office in the Chinese capital with the Government paying them to be there.

Mirza is a sporting icon of Bollywood proportions in her homeland after becoming the first Indian woman to win a WTA title with the Hyderabad Open in 2005.