Sitak’s goal an unusual one in 2020
Artem Sitak’s goal for 2020 is for a doubles partner not to walk out on him,
The New Zealand No 3, who’s ranked 62 in the world will play with Divij Sharan from India against Michael Venus and John Peers from Australia at the ASB Classic.
Last year the 33-year-old Sitak had nine different partners over the season and spent the back half of it scrambling to find someone to team up with after Austin Krajicek walked out on him after the French Open in May.
In 2018 he started off with Wesley Koolhof, before he left him for Marcus Daniell. He began 2017 with Nicholas Monroe and 2016 it was Daniell and each one of them left him.
It’s not as if Sitak’s unpleasant person and you’d be hard pushed to meet a nicer guy.
Nor is it because he isn’t a good doubles player. The last year he failed to win an ATP title was in 2013.
But until he can keep hold of a partner for a whole season it’s going to be hard for him make it into the ATP 1000 tournament and be up there with Michael Venus.
‘‘It’s was a tough year and a lot of drama with partners in the middle of the year,’’ Sitak said.
‘‘But I think I did well to stay in a good ranking range. I’m 62 right now and it could have been worse because I couldn’t find partners.
‘‘I still won an ATP event in Antalya, I had a good solid end to the year, beating Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares in Paris with Divij and also making a good run at the Tokyo 500.
‘‘For 2020, the goal would be to stay with Divij for the whole of the year, it hasn’t to happened me with partners yet.’’
While Sitak seems to get it worse and is always the dumped rather than dumper, he says players around his ranking constantly search for a partner who they jump up to the next level with.
‘‘It doesn’t happen just to me,’’ he said. ‘‘It pretty much happens to everyone, except the top players, they stick together because they win a lot.
‘‘But everyone below switches a lot because they’re always looking for something better.
‘‘It’s tough to get used to it, because it always feels like a stab in the back, but that’s what it is and you’ve got to get used to it, move past it and look forward to better results.’’
Sitak ended 2019 with Sharan and he’s agreed to stick with him for this year, but Sitak knows it’s not the first time his partner has told him that.
‘‘I do [feel he’s committed], but that’s what I felt with all of my partners before and that hasn’t stopped them quitting!
‘‘But I played with Divij for some of 2018 and the end of last year. I think we get along well, we play well together.
‘‘The best result of my life came at Wimbledon with Divij, making the quarterfinals. That’s a positive, we know we can do well and the goal is to stay together.’’
Meanwhile, Sitak has his heart set on playing at the Tokyo Olympics this year.
New Zealand is sure to send a team for the men’s doubles. Venus is locked in, but the other spot will be down to either Sitak or Daniell.
Four years ago, the team was determined by whoever were the two highest ranked players after the French Open. Sitak spent all of 2016 ahead of Daniell, but for the deadline week, Daniell managed to climb one place ahead of him, so went to Rio instead.