Weather gods are set to play ball
Big guns prepare well for women’s event despite rain
Everything has gone to plan for ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin ahead of a big fortnight — now he just has to wait for the weather.
Both tournaments in 2023 were badly affected by almost incessant rain, which saw numerous sessions cancelled and lengthy delays. It was highly unfortunate, especially with big names such as Emma Raducanu, Casper Ruud, Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams suffering exits on indoor courts, with no crowd.
The women’s final was disrupted by rain. Scheduled for 5pm, it didn’t start until 6.45pm, before further showers took the players off court for almost two hours towards the end of the first set, leading to a late finish before Coco Gauff claimed the trophy.
The weather-related chaos meant a proposed roof became the topic du jour, with disappointed fans, frustrated players and unhappy stakeholders. However, the signs are better for the 2024 event.
“It looks good for the upcoming fortnight — it looks really dry,” Lamperin told the Weekend Herald. “All of next week is good. It’s a bit early to say for the week after, but so far, so good.”
Lamperin is a “bit more relaxed” compared with this time last year. It was a tough initiation in 2023, tasked with bringing back the tournament after three years off the circuit due to Covid and with a short lead-in time.
“It was a new team in 2023 and no one really knew the tournament. It was very new and we didn’t have much time. We’ve been able to plan much better this year.”
That includes making sure the indoor courts are in the best possible condition if needed, after some criticism last year. They were relaid two weeks ago at the same time as the outdoor courts.
Most importantly, there have been no last-minute withdrawals and the big names look fit and focused. British star Raducanu was among the first in Auckland, on Boxing Day, with Lamperin saying the 2021 US Open champion is looking sharp on court.
Fellow wildcard Caroline Wozniacki, here with her husband, their two children and a nanny, has been putting in the training hours as she juggles family time. “She’s in great spirits,” said Lamperin. “She’s happy to be back.” Defending champion Coco Gauff touched down on Thursday morning and was on court five hours later. “That’s a good example of her dedication and professionalism, all the efforts she is putting in to be ready,” said Lamperin of the 19-yearold who took out the US Open in September.
Second seed and world No 25 Elina Svitolina will be accompanied by husband Gael Monfils for as long as she remains in the tournament, with the Frenchman electing to train here rather than play an ATP event, ahead of his Auckland appearance next week.
“There was an option to get into Hong Kong but we weren’t sure about travelling back to Auckland,” said Lamperin. “If you go far in Hong Kong, it’s difficult to be ready for that week.”
Yesterday was disrupted by heavy rain, with organisers using the six indoor courts at Albany, as well as three on site to facilitate practice. After qualifying is completed over the weekend, the tournament starts on Monday with a single session from midday. There is a similar format on Tuesday, before the traditional day-night sessions format from Wednesday, starting at midday and 6.30pm.