Top-notch facilities and the return of Brett Steven should combine to give New Zealand a first round zonal win over China in their Davis Cup tennis tie starting today.
The New Zealand team, spearheaded by Steven, have been training at the palatial Mission Hills Country Club in Shenzhen, China since arriving
on Sunday.
Surrounded by 50 tennis courts and five golf courses, the venue was described by manager Ian Wells as "an oasis" and the best Davis Cup venue he had ever seen.
Long-serving team captain Jeff Simpson was equally enthusiastic and said it was far superior to anything they had encountered on previous visits to Asia, a regular destination in recent years.
"It's a magnificent facility," Simpson said.
"It's a great place to train and play Davis Cup matches."
Steven has returned to the team after two years for the opening regional tie of the competition and the impact on the team has had an immediate effect.
"No matter where you play you always want to go in with your strongest team and he's our No 1 player.
"When you've got him on the team it's good for everything," Simpson said.
"He trains hard, works hard, sets a good example and it's good to have someone of his ability playing."
Rather than play the lesser-recognised ties, the New Zealand No 1 has preferred to concentrate on his ranking over the past couple of seasons.
With his tournament career now winding down, Steven has once again offered his services.
Canterbury's Alistair Hunt brings the team back to full strength after spending most of last year out with a knee injury. The powerfully built Cantabrian has since had a succession of niggling injuries which could leave him short of hardened match-play. He has only recently returned from a wrist injury.
Specialist James Greenhalgh is likely to team with Steven in the doubles, the pair having teamed together several times this summer and in previous cup ties.
Auckland's Nielsen will vie with Hunt for the No 2 singles spot.
The team have been practising twice a day on the rebound ace courts, a surface the Kiwis will feel completely at home on.
"For the last few times we've been up in Asia they [the ties] have all been on not-great surfaces. They've all been very slippery imitation-like clay courts," Simpson said.
"This is the first time we've had a decent court, it's a good surface and one we've been practising on for a while now."
The New Zealanders know little about their opponents but on rankings alone have a considerable advantage.
Steven is a cut above everyone with a ranking of 93, followed by Nielsen on 403, Hunt on 582 and Greenhalgh 1310.
China's top two players Zhu Ben Quiang and Zhang Yu are ranked 794 and 799 respectively with Zheng Yu on 1015 and Jiang Shan unranked altogether.
The No 1 and 2 singles will be played this afternoon (NZ time), the doubles on tomorrow and reverse singles on Sunday. - NZPA
Top-notch facilities and the return of Brett Steven should combine to give New Zealand a first round zonal win over China in their Davis Cup tennis tie starting today.
The New Zealand team, spearheaded by Steven, have been training at the palatial Mission Hills Country Club in Shenzhen, China since arriving
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