Tennis: Kiwi world No 575 Kiranpal Pannu gains wildcard into ASB men’s classic after playoff win

Kiranpal Pannu. Photo / Photosport

Wellington’s Kiranpal Pannu can dare to dream, after winning the golden ticket into the men’s ASB Classic.

Early next week Pannu will be walking out onto the Stanley Street centre court for his first match at ATP tour level, thanks to his 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win in the wildcard playoff over compatriot Finn Reynolds on Tuesday.

It’s an invaluable opportunity for the 25-year-old, who has been toiling away on the lower reaches of the professional ladder for years.

“It’s huge,” said Pannu. “It’s what every Kiwi player dreams of, to play at the ASB on centre court, in front of the Kiwi fans.”

Pannu doesn’t have a preference in terms of who he might face, conceding that “anyone would be great”.

“It’s crazy to even think about it,” said Pannu. “It will be a really big step up.”

It’s a strong reward for Pannu, who has done things the hard way.

Last year was his first opportunity to travel fulltime on tour and he made the most of it, jumping from world No 1380 to No 575.

It was a grind, with time in South America, Europe, Africa and some American outposts, but he persevered, reaching the semifinals of three ITF US$15,000 events and making the second round of an Ecuador Challenger, after coming through qualifying.

He admits that the ASB Classic appearance could be career-challenging - “a good run can really skyrocket a player like myself into the bigger leagues” - and it will be financially beneficial, given the massive expenses of the tour.

Tuesday’s match was a compelling battle, stretching across almost three hours.

Both players had to cope with awful conditions, with wind funnelling through court 11 at Scarbro Tennis Centre and balls being blown almost horizontal at times.

“It was really tough, even as a Wellingtonian I was struggling out there, real windy,” said Pannu. “But I guess if you can play out here, you can play anywhere and it is the same for both of us.”

It was an even battle, with plenty of extended rallies, as neither player had an obvious edge.

World No 654 Reynolds took out the first set in just under an hour, prompting Pannu to take a more aggressive approach.

“I felt like I was dictating off the ground,” said Pannu.

After he evened the ledger, both players increased their levels in the final set.

They traded early breaks, with Pannu doing well to avoid further trouble in the fourth game, recovering from a 15-40 deficit on serve, helped by a half volley that skimmed the net.

The crucial junction came at 5-5, with Reynolds broken. Pannu then made no mistake, converting his second match point with an ace, as his opponent tossed his racquet away in frustration.

“It was a real tough match,” said Pannu. “It could have gone either way and it ended up in my favour. Credit to Finn, he played so well the whole match.”

As runner-up Reynolds, from Hawke’s Bay, will receive a qualifying wildcard, while it’s believed he and Ajeet Rai are in line for direct entry into the main draw doubles event.