KEY POINTS:
It was British rock legends The Who who memorably sang "Tommy can you see me?" three decades ago.
Assorted tennis types were wandering about yesterday on the eve of the Heineken Open wondering "Tommy can we see you".
Eventually, top seed and world No 7 Tommy Robredo ambled
into the ASB Tennis Centre for a late afternoon practice hit. He had been pencilled in for 1pm, and had been spied at the venue. But then, nothing.
He might have been taking a nap out the back, making up for an early morning arrival from Perth, where he had been part of the Spanish team that lost the Hopman Cup final to Russia on Saturday.
When he steps on centre court tonight for the second time - the first ended in an opening round three-set loss to hard-hitting Dutchman Raemon Sluiter two years ago - Robredo will be the kingpin in a significant Spanish party in Auckland.
There are six in the main draw and a seventh, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, in the final round of qualifying this morning.
Robredo - who was named by his father Angel after the rock opera - meets compatriot Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo tonight in one of four first-round matchups where the language of choice across the net will be Spanish.
Robredo, 24, was second seed in 2005 but has climbed seven spots into the elite of the men's game. Since 2004, the Barcelona resident's progress has been relentless.
He has won four singles titles, two last year, at Bastad in Sweden and then a big one, the Masters Series in Hamburg, and bagged almost US$5 million ($7.3 million) in winnings.
Robredo is seeded to meet last year's beaten finalist, ninth-ranked Croat Mario Ancic, in Saturday's final. Defending champion, Finn Jarkko Nieminen, the fourth seed this year, has drawn nuggety little Belgian Olivier Rochus first up.
If that pairing looks familiar for both, it's because Nieminen beat Rochus in a long three-set semifinal last year.
"I have great memories of last year," world No 15 Nieminen said yesterday, as well he might as Auckland remains his only ATP singles title.
The Open has attracted a hugely impressive 12 of the world's top 36 players, including former French Open champions - Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003), back after an administrative mixup cost him his spot in last year's field, and Argentine Gaston Gaudio (2004).
Argentina and France provide four players in the main draw.
The international flavour of the US$416,000 ($605,000) event is enhanced by two Belgians and one player each from Chile, Peru, Germany, Slovakia, Finland, Ecuador, Switzerland, Serbia, Italy, the US and Croatia - not to forget New Zealand's top player, Dan King-Turner, who is in action in the singles and doubles tomorrow.
Opening day should provide a feast of quality tennis, with the pick of the matches on paper being the clash between Gaudio and third seeded Spaniard David Ferrer, the world No 14 player.
Young Frenchman Gael Monfils' reputation as an exhilarating performer will be tested by durable Spaniard Alberto Martin, and to round the day off Robredo will be out to give the night crowd something to sing about.
New Zealand's last qualifying hope, Rubin Statham, was eliminated in the second round yesterday by Garcia-Lopez 6-2 7-6 (7-3).
He had been the only one of seven New Zealanders to win a qualifying match.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE
* Centre court, from 11am: K. Vliegen (Belgium) v J. Tipsarevic (Serbia) followed by G. Gaudio (Argentina) v 3-D. Ferrer (Spain) followed by 4-J. Nieminen (Finland) v O. Rochus (Belgium), followed by G. Monfils (France) v A. Martin (Spain) followed by, but not before 7pm, 1-T. Robredo (Spain) v R. Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) followed by 1-S. Aspelin (Sweden)/C. Haggard (South Africa) v A. Calleri/J.-I. Chela (Argentina)
* Court 4, from 11am: Final round qualifying, G. Garcia-Lopez (Spain) v R. Kendrick (US) followed by L. Rosol (Czech Republic) v S. Gruel (Germany) followed by, main draw, D. Bracciali (Italy) v G. Simon (France) followed by F. Serra (France) v WC-N. Lapentti (Ecuador)
* Court 6, from 11am: Final round qualifying, J. Monaco (Argentina) v P. Capdeville (Chile), followed by Woong-Sun Jun (Korea) v L. Gregorc (Slovenia) followed by, main draw, P. Kohlschreiber (Germany) v L. Horna (Peru).