Dana Johannsen: Open loses zip without big names

David Ferrer out of the tournament following a back injury he suffered on his way to winning the Qatar Open title last weekend. Photo / Getty Images

Following the high of the weekend's dream ASB Classic tennis final between the tournament's two biggest names, there is a flat feel about this week's Heineken Open.

After Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki dazzled fans on and off the court last week, the men's tournament got under way yesterday with a dramatically depleted line-up after the withdrawal of the three big drawcards - including top seed and four-time champion David Ferrer - on the eve of the event. The Spaniard suffered a back injury on his way to winning the Qatar Open title last weekend.

Ferrer's withdrawal came on the back of Frenchman Gael Monfils and defending champion John Isner pulling out of the Auckland tournament last week.

With the Heineken Open played the week before the Australian Open, this year's event has fallen victim to players wanting to be fresh and fit to tackle the season's first grand slam. While it is disappointing for the Auckland tournament, it is understandable players may choose to alter their plans closer to the time depending on their form, fitness and general energy levels leading into the Australian Open. It can be a delicate balance for players ensuring they are sharp and match fit, and remaining fresh.

Yet Isner's no-show, in particular, prompted an angry reaction from some tennis observers on social media, who seemingly couldn't comprehend how a player might consider their preparation for a grand slam more important than a third-tier ATP event in Auckland.

Yes, for a man who is famous for winning the world's longest tennis match - an epic 11-hour battle with Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in the opening round of the 2010 Wimbledon tournament, to cite "tiredness" as an excuse is entirely unconvincing. But his motives are clear, and who can really fault him for it? It is simply a reality of where the Auckland tournament sits in the pecking order of world tennis.

Although the no-shows have caused major headaches for tournament director Karl Budge, he recognises it is part and parcel of the sport. He recognises, too, there could be a partial fix to the problem. Budge has suggested ATP officials should investigate moving the dates around so that tournaments the week before a grand slam start on a Thursday and finish on a Wednesday, allowing players to get in some match-play the week before the tournament, and also leaving them with a decent turnaround time in between events to rest. This workaround seems to have some merit and warrants genuine consideration from ATP officials.

In the meantime, Budge will be hoping that along with some of his biggest signings for the tournament, the spectators also won't be no-shows this week.