KEY POINTS:
Tommy Robredo's got an idea how players pursuing the world's finest player can make it to the top of the rankings.
It's not strictly legal, but the 24-year-old world No 7 indicated that short of nobbling Roger Federer, the rest of the best are - at least for
now - playing for No 3 spot and below.
Robredo's compatriot, Rafael Nadal, is clearly No 2, and he too will take some catching.
"To be honest, right now if guys want to be No 1, you need to ask for a limitation," he quipped.
"Federer should be injured. He's winning every week. Rafa as well. For now, we are a few steps behind."
Here's a couple of thoughts: strap one of the Swiss maestro's arms behind his back - but it would have to be his right - or tie his shoelaces together.
Consider this: in his 2006 campaign, Robredo won 49 of his 78 matches, won the Masters Series title in Hamburg, which is one step below the Grand Slams, another in Bastad, Sweden, and won US$1.45 million ($2.1 million). That's a fine year.
Federer played 97 matches, winning a staggering 92 - his only losses being against Nadal (four times) and Scot Andy Murray - won 12 titles and pocketed US$8.34 million. Those figures are in a different orbit.
Robredo was No 5 for a time last year. The margins between being inside the top five and sitting at No 10 are tight. Robredo reckoned had he won two more matches last year he would have arrived in Auckland for this week's Heineken Open as world No 3. A couple of extra defeats in the wrong place and he would have been No 10.
He even identified the key event, the Masters tournament in Paris indoors in October, where he was beaten in the semifinals by Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
By Robredo's calculations, had he beaten Davydenko he would have reached No 3; if he'd lost in the first round there he would have finished at No 10.
It's all about small margins, as Robredo put it, "a difference of two matches, and that's the reason tennis is so nice".
So how does a top player prepare for a year when he knows, even if he exceeds his expectations, he won't catch Federer, and will battle to peg back Nadal?
"You have to go step by step. If I can do what I did last year, perfect. If I reach the Masters again it will be a dream. That was a nice present for me."
Robredo, at 24 - one year younger than Federer - reckons he grew up mentally in the past year. Now he needs to do everything much as last year, only a little better.
"If you want to be better you need to do the same things you had in the past and play a little better in some tournaments."
It's not rocket science. Then again for any player with ambitions to make it to No 1, right now that's probably just what they need.
Robredo was at the ASB Tennis Centre yesterday, an off-court attraction, mingling with sponsors and mixing with young players.
It was a grim day with no hope of play, which was eventually called off at 7pm. Hardy fans stayed on into the early evening in the vain hope of a break in the weather.
The younger ones amused themselves on the X-Box screens in the indoor hall at the tournament venue, but there are few more depressing places to be than a summer sports venue when a big wet settles in.
A rejigged schedule for a night session was put out, then scrapped. Three times officials had the squeegees out on the centre court during brief dry spells, only for their efforts to be washed away shortly after.
Open officials ruled out heading across the bridge yesterday to North Harbour's indoor complex, which has the same surface. They are reluctant to move away from the designated outdoor venue.
The singles draw comprises 31 matches, eight of which were played on Monday.
They could live with no play again today, but that means some players facing two matches in a day later in the week. It's not ideal, but is do-able.
If North Harbour is needed, it will be doubles matches which are moved there first, and officials might not have a choice if today mirrors yesterday.
Today's schedule
Centre Court, from 11am: 6-J.-C. Ferrero (Spain) v N. Massu (Chile) followed by D. King-Turner (NZ) v Q-J. Monaco (Argentina) followed by Q-L. Rosol (Czech Republic) v 2-M. Ancic (Croatia) followed by L. Horna (Peru)/N. Lapentti (Ecuador) v Monaco/R. Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) followed by, but not before 7pm, Q-R. Kendrivk (US) v M. Fish (US) followed by WC-R. Statham/O. Statham (NZ) v WC-King-Turner/J. Nieminen (Finland)
Court 4, from 11am: J. Coetzee (South Africa)/R. Wassen (Netherlands) v 2-L. Friedl (Czech Republic)/M. Kohlmann (Germany) followed by Q-Woong-Sun Jun (Korea) v 5-D. Hrbaty (Slovakia) followed by O. Rochus/K. Vliegen (Belgium) v A. Martin (Spain)/Massu followed by N. Almagro/D. Ferrere (Spain) v 3-M. Garcia/S. Prieto (Argentina)
Court 6, from 11am: N. Mahut (France) v J.-I. Chela (Argentina) followed by 8-S. Wawrinka (Switzerland) v Almagro followed by J.-M. Del Potro (Argentina) v 7-A. Calleri (Argentina)
Court 7, from 1pm: 4-Y. Allegro (Switzerland)/R. Lindstedt (Sweden) v P. Pala/D. Skoch (Czech Republic) followed by D. Bracciali (Italy)/Hrbaty v F. Serra/G. Simon (France)
