Alejandro Falla of Columbia. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A year ago Michael Venus took his first promising steps on the ATP Tour by taking a set off world No 51 Tommy Robredo. The young Kiwi eventually lost that match, but he at least showed he could foot it with one of the big boys.
Exactly 12 months later
fate - and a Heineken Open wildcard courtesy of being New Zealand's top-ranked player - again saw Venus pitted against the world's 51st-ranked player. Venus again brought a game based on a big serve and ripping forehand but precious little else. He was easily beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Colombian Santiago Giraldo, a semifinalist here last year.
If the symmetry in the ranking of Venus's opponent provided an opportunity to gauge his progress over a year, the judgment must ultimately be harsh. If Venus has progressed as a player, it is in a backward direction. The fact his ranking had slid 42 places to 372 in the world seemed to suggest as much before the match had even started. Once the balls were in the air, suspicions of a retrenchment were quickly confirmed.
The malaise that has smothered New Zealand men's tennis for enough years to stretch into decades shows no sign of lifting.
"It is just a matter of keep working and just keep trying to get better," said a phlegmatic Venus. "That is all you can do. You are not always going to win every match or keep going up or everyone would be at the top. But as long as you keep trying your best and keep trying to fix things then that is all you can really ask."
