Statham quits Davis Cup team

THERE WILL be three New Zealanders in the second round of Heineken Open qualifying in Auckland today, the best effort in recent years, but controversy has hit the sport with the country’s topranked player, Rubin Statham, quitting the Davis Cup team.

Unfortunately, the success in qualifying shouldn’t be seen as a sign that there are waves of Kiwis set to take the world by storm.

Cameron Norrie was given a walkover against Carlos Belocq after the Argentine world No 66 pulled out sick yesterday morning.

Michael Venus beat fellow New Zealander Adam Thompson 6- 1 6- 1, and Sebastian Lavie beat 39-year-old Italian Enrico Becuzzi 6-1 6-1.

Becuzzi has no ranking and won just one of 18 matches last year.

However, you can only beat who’s in front of you and Lavie, who has a world ranking of 789, gratefully took the $ 410 prizemoney.

He faces 65th-ranked Benjamin Becker, of Germany, today. Becker was made to work hard by New Zealander Jaden Grinter yesterday before winning 6-4 6-4.

Other New Zealanders in action yesterday were Marcus Daniell, beaten 6-2 7-5 by Spain’s Sergio Guitierrez- Ferrol, Martin Colenbrander, beaten 6-1 6-3 by Italy’s Flavio Cipolla, and Sam Matheson, beaten 6-1 6-1 by Romania’s Victor Hansecu.

Meanwhile, the final main-draw wildcard has been given to New Zealand No 2 Dan King- Turner ahead of Statham, the No 1.

Statham did not play in the New Zealand residentials before Christmas and then withdrew from the Davis Cup team for next month’s tie against Lebanon.

The doubles wildcards for the Heineken Open have gone to KingTurner and Venus in one pairing and Artem Sitak and Statham in the other.

It is perplexing that Statham still gets a wildcard, given that Daniell is likely to be used in the doubles at the Davis Cup, and the Sunday Star- Times understands it’s a decision that Tennis New Zealand was not happy with.