Budge in no rush to sign Wozniacki
GETTY IMAGES ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge won’t rush a deal to bring back Caroline Wozniacki but has revealed he has made his peace with Jack Sock.
Wozniacki followed on her final appearance in Auckland by winning the Australian Open last weekend.
That has taken her back to No 1 in the world and she’d have to have an incredibly bad rest of the year not to finish 2018 inside the top 10.
As an International level WTA tournament, the Classic is limited to just one top 10 player in the women’s field.
Budge could look to snap up the Dane straight away for 2019 but he says he’ll spend time thinking about what he’ll do.
‘‘That relationship has been strong for a very long time,’’ Budge said of Wozniacki.
‘‘So I would always feel we’re in a strong position to start those negotiations, as long as we can come to an agreement we’re happy with. I’m sure Caroline would be pretty keen to start her year again in Auckland next year.
‘‘Now that the tournaments over we’ll have those conversations over the next couple of months and work towards 2019.’’
If he does sign Wozniacki up early, it means he couldn’t go after Serena Williams or any other top 10 player.
‘‘We’re weighing it up at the moment,’’ Budge said.
‘‘There are no shortage of players saying they want to play in Auckland, which is a great place for us to be.
‘‘Now the aim is for us to make sure we’re getting the right ones and doing so at a time that works. We won’t rush it, but we’ll have those conversations early on.’’
On the men’s side, Budge said he caught up with Sock in Melbourne, his No 1 seed, who played appallingly in his 6-3 6-3 first round loss to journeyman Peter Gojowczyk in Auckland, then hastily left the country without doing the sponsorship activities he was contracted to do.
‘‘We had a good chat and we went away understanding where each party was at,’’ Budge said.
‘‘It’s important that you have those conversations both parties have a chance to say what they want to say and be adults about it.
‘‘I’m glad we got that time together in Melbourne and I’m looking forward to continuing what’s been a long relationship for many years to come.’’