By TERRY MADDAFORD
Turning up in Auckland as defending champion has been the kiss of death for many of the world's best players.
Gustavo Kuerten has the odds stacked against him when he takes to the court next week to defend the Heineken Open title he won last January.
The last player to
successfully defend was New Zealand's Onny Parun in the 1975-76 season.
In the past 12 years eight players have returned to the ASB Tennis Centre. None have gone all the way.
Defending champions Thomas Enqvist (1995) and Dominik Hrbaty (2001) returned only to go out in the first round the following year to players who had come through qualifying.
Blurb1: Heineken Open champion Gustavo Kuerten will next week attempt what no player has achieved in more than 25 years. Terry Maddaford reports.
QuoteBox1: The money is not important for me. Like other players in the top 50, I have a good amount of money.
Caption2: PICTURE / DEAN PURCELL
Caption1:
GUSTAVO Kuerten arrived in Auckland a year ago with no great expectations.
A little over a week later he flew out to Australia as the Heineken Open champion.
Yesterday he arrived back in the same relaxed mood - but with the added warning for the 31 other players who will play main draw from Monday.
"I have good expectations," said the laid back 27-year-old Brazilian who must beat history as much as his opponents to win this time. No player in more than quarter of century has successfully defended here.
Although his sights are set initially on the Open, he has a much bigger goal for later in the year.
"I want, very much, an Olympic medal," said "Guga" who was beaten in the quarter-finals in Sydney four years ago.
"I missed a medal by one round. I would love to go to Athens and win a medal."
To have that chance he must retain his ranking, which means good results in the first months of the New Year.
Next week's tournament at the ASB Bank Tennis Centre is but the first step.
"It was a good way to start my year last time. Maybe I can do it again. I went from Auckland to Australia where I made the second round, which is as good as I have ever done there.
"My tournament in Auckland was the start of three good months for me. I feel the same way now. I have been practising a lot.
"The start of the year is always difficult. You never know who is going to play or how well.
"It is important to play one or two tournaments before the Grand Slam," said Kuerten.
He again opted out of the year-opening ATP tournaments in Doha, Chennai and Adelaide to come to Auckland early.
"The cut-off for the tournament in Auckland is now so tough because players want matches before the Australian Open."
And the chance for some early prizemoney?
"The money is not important for me. Like other players in the top 50, I have a good amount of money.
"For me, the game is more important," said Kuerten who, in earning more than US$14 million, is ninth on the all-time money list.
"It is more about having the ability and being able to play than how much money you have."
Since 2000 he has devoted much of his off-court time - and money - to the Institute Guga Kuerten, a foundation that works closely with the under-privileged in Brazil.
Overseen by his mother - "mum, she is the boss" - the foundation assisted 1600 children last year.
"We had many programmes," said Kuerten with obvious pride. "Our programmes helped children in sport, music, their schoolwork and art.
"We work mostly with poor children and those with handicaps," said Kuerten, whose younger brother, Guilherme, is intellectually disabled.
"For the first time we had a prizegiving last year. It was a great party. We had a lot of fun."
His dedication is mirrored in the long relationship he has had with his coach Larri Passos, who has been with Kuerten since 1989.
Now, it is back to what he also enjoys - playing a sport he has been so much part of since he turned pro more than eight years ago.
The former world No 1 steps on court to defend his Heineken Open title at No 15 and as the third seed behind the man he spent more than an hour practising with yesterday - Argentine Guillermo Coria.
One speaks Spanish, the other Portuguese, but on opposite sides of the net yesterday the language was universal.
Second helpings
The records of the Open champions in the following year.
1991: Karel Novacek lost first round to Jacco Eltingh
1992: Jamie Yzaga lost semis to Alexandra Volkov
1993: Volkov lost second round to Jackob Hlasek
1994: Magnus Gustafsson did not play
1995: Thomas Enqvist lost first round to Yzaga
1996: Jiri Novak lost semis to Kenneth Carlsen
1997: Jonas Bjorkman did not play
1998: Marcello Rios lost first round to Andrei Pavel
1999: Sjeng Schalken lost quarters to Gaston Gaudio
2000: Magnus Norman did not play
2001: Dominik Hrbaty lost first round to Gilles Elsener
2002: Greg Rusedski did not play
2003: Gustavo Kuerten ???
By TERRY MADDAFORD
Turning up in Auckland as defending champion has been the kiss of death for many of the world's best players.
Gustavo Kuerten has the odds stacked against him when he takes to the court next week to defend the Heineken Open title he won last January.
The last player to
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