Tennis: Search for new CEO begins

Steve Walkerby

Tennis New Zealand have conceded the decision to let chief executive Steve Walker commute from Australia is an interim measure and the search for his replacement has already begun.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Walker told the Herald he was under no pressure to resign and was confident he would remain at the post for the foreseeable future.

The Herald yesterday revealed Walker's family is to return to Australia on Boxing Day, a situation that has created doubt over his future with Tennis NZ.

Walker, who has been in the position since May 2007, yesterday confirmed he planned to spend every fourth week in Melbourne working electronically.

He would be trialling a commuting process, Walker told Radio Sport.

"The plan is I'd still be based here for the majority of the time, but I'll commute back for blocks when I spend time in Melbourne.

"Within a couple of months we'll know if it's working or not, and at that point a decision will be made."

However, Tennis NZ chairman David Patterson conceded the arrangement would be untenable long term.

"He's going to work on the ground here probably three of every four weeks for an interim period while he finishes off a few projects he wants to do and while we - at some point - will look for another CEO," Patterson said.

"He's done a great job, and he'll continue as long as we can have him, and as long as he's performing in the way he's done."

There was no particular time-line on how long the arrangement would last.

"It's a transition thing, and it means we keep a good guy for as long as we can, and it allows us to have the time to make a transition.

"But if he doesn't think it's working, either from his perspective or from the TNZ perspective, then we'll make changes pretty quickly."

With the country's Davis and Fed Cup teams performing poorly, Walker has been a target for criticism.

However, Patterson defended Walker's performance, saying he had been instrumental in setting up programmes including grasshopper tennis, for 5- to 9-year-olds, and in building up regional performance centres with a network of coaches around the country.

"We've set ourselves a target of having a 10-15 per cent increase in world rankings every year and in the period Steve's been there, we've achieved that for the men, boys and girls."

The women, currently the strongest area of game for New Zealand, hadn't reached that goal because of injuries to top players Marina Erakovic, Sacha Jones and Ellen Barry.

Walker himself had no doubt the unorthodox situation would work - and if it didn't, the solution was obvious.

"The arrangement is straightforward, but it seems unusual. If it works, we continue with it; if it doesn't, we pull the pin."

- Steve Deane and NZPA