Editorial: It’s up to Kiwi tennis stars to mix it with the best

It’s been another spectacular week at the ASB Classic.

A wonderful field, highlighted by the presence of the legendary Serena Williams, has produced some great contests, with most of the big names progressing through the week, unlike some other years, where the seeds have scattered.

There has also been a noticeable lack of rain, stifling the usual debates about the need for a roof, and record crowds.

Perhaps the only sour note has been the performance of the local players, and the subsequent debate that it has generated about giving out wildcards.

Paige Hourigan and Valentina Ivanov lost in straight sets after being given main draw wildcards, while Erin Routliffe was dumped out in the first round of singles qualifying.

It continued a pattern, as no Kiwi female has beaten an overseas player at the event since 2016. So do they deserve the opportunity?

It’s a conundrum for tournament director Karl Budge. He wants to encourage young, local talent, but one-sided matches on centre court can be damaging for both the player and the tournament.

But some perspective is needed. Ivanov performed well against a player ranked more than 750 places above her, and will take immeasurable confidence from that. Hourigan (the world No 447) was poor, but facing an all-time great in long time former World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

But the policy has the right foundation. Tennis players from this country face all kinds of challenges, principally our geographic isolation from the sport’s hubs in Europe and the United States. Our youngsters need to be given an opportunity, and it is up to them to make the most of it, or be given a nasty reality check.

“If we want the sport to succeed, we’ve all got a role to play in that,” said Budge, defending his decisions in 2020, and he is right.

And though the tournament is the shop window, it’s the work that goes on during the rest of the year by Tennis Auckland and Tennis New Zealand that is even more critical.