Team Kiwi find home away

There’s a house in Saint Johns, Auckland, which has become the home for an unofficial Team Kiwi of New Zealand tennis.

The country’s top three women’s players – Erin Routliffe, Paige Hourigan and Valentina Ivanov – have all be staying with NZ Fed Cup captain Neil Carter for most of the past month.

The three players will all compete in next week’s ASB Classic and they’ve benefited by taking up the hospitality of Carter, who opened up his home to allow them to be in the best environment possible, before they move into the official tournament hotel today.

‘‘Paige, Valentina and myself are all staying there right now, so it’s a full house,’’ Routliffe told

‘‘It’s really nice of him and we’re so grateful for that.

‘‘It’s tough because none of us actually live in Auckland or have family here, but we obviously want to come to train here.’’

Routliffe was born in Auckland, but moved to Canada at the age of four; Ivanov has been based in Sydney with her family; while Hourigan is from Turakina, in between Whanganui and Palmerston North and has just completed her degree at Georgia Tech in the United States.

With them being together under the same roof, it’s helped create a united bond, which can only be beneficial when it comes to next year’s Fed Cup.

‘‘As we’re all staying in the same house, it definitely feels like we’re in a team environment,’’ Routliffe said.

‘‘It’s better when you have girls around you the same age and level training with you.’’

For Routliffe, this will be her third time playing at the Classic. While she’s yet to win a match at the tournament, her previous two matches went to three sets.

The 23-year-old feels she’s made progress through 2018, with the help of Carter, who spent time

‘‘I still know I want to play singles.’’

Erin Routliffe