KEY POINTS:
Steve Deane picks his big hits - and a couple that went straight into the net - as a thrilling fortnight of tennis winds down.
Highlights
1. Marina Erakovic snapping an eight-match losing streak: It wasn't exactly the best match of the week but there is nothing like watching a local player enjoying some success on centre court. Having not won a singles match since Wimbledon in July and having turned in a doubles shocker the night before, Erakovic went into her match against tiny Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives under plenty of pressure. She lost the first couple of games but recovered quickly and, briefly, the Erakovic who set the 2008 ASB Classic alight was back. It didn't last, with top-seed Elena Dementieva dispatching our girl in the second round. But there was no disgrace in that and Erakovic at least showed once again that Kiwis can win matches at the top level.
2. Heineken Open finally gets started: After two dud days, the Wednesday at the Heineken Open turned into what many experienced tennis commentators described as the best ever at the tournament. Remarkably, all eight second-round matches went to three sets. Centre court was packed and healthy crowds gathered at the outside courts to soak up the sun and witness some superb encounters. The best, however, was saved until last, with defending champion Philipp
Kohlschreiber's third-set tiebreak victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero in a repeat of the 2008 final epitomising all that is good about the game.
3.Yes, yes, yes. Nyet, nyet, nyet: Everyone loves a dark horse and when that horse is a tall, blond Russian 22-year-old, so much the better. World No 78 Elena Vesnina's run to the final of the Classic was easy to watch. Her habit of celebrating in English and telling herself off in Russian was particularly endearing, while her three-set semifinal victory over world No 12 Caroline Wozniacki was the match of the tournament.
4. The Beast of North Carolina: Sadly, not all dark horses can be Russian glamour-pusses. A genetic freak, however, is always the next best option. Enter stage left then - or actually an extreme outside court - 2.08m, 108kg American beast John Isner. The sort of bloke who would have been useful at the Alamo, Isner takes a never-say-die attitude to extreme lengths. Pushed to three sets in all three rounds of qualifying, Isner, who boasts a booming serve and not a hell of a lot else, was on his last legs in a final set tiebreak against countryman Robby Ginepri. Barely able to move his massive frame around the court, Isner summoned the energy to send down three straight aces to close out the second-round match and keep the underdog dream alive. Clearly less than impressed with his defeat, Ginepri still found time to sign a few autographs as he made a beeline for the changing rooms. Class. God bless the Americans.
Lowlights
Kiwi men are more like mice. It's not that Dan King-Turner and Rubin Statham disgraced themselves on centre court. Quite the opposite, in fact. Both did enough to justify their presence and both hint at the potential to be much better players than they are now. King-Turner has the weapons to be a decent pro and the athletic Statham will happily run down even the most badly mislaid lost cause.
But it's just so depressing being able to predict to the nanosecond when our best men will implode.
Having broken Sam Querrey's serve to level at 5-5 in the second set, King-Turner began his service game with a double fault and never looked like holding his serve, handing the match to the American. Later that day Statham repeated the dose, failing to win another game after going a break up on Robby Ginepri in the second set. When the game is on the line, our boys just crumble.
Byes are bollocks
Spare a thought for Heineken Open director Richard Palmer, who had to put out schedules for the first two days that didn't feature the tournament's top four drawcards. A better effort from our local players might have alleviated the problem but that was never going to happen. So all hopes of a decent match in the first 48 hours rested on the shoulders of rising Japanese star Kei Nishikori and former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Cue Nishikori pulling out with a sore wrist after just 33 minutes.
Quite frankly, the move to a 28-player draw sucks. Not only does it guarantee a slow start, but it also unfairly favours the big guns. With Philipp Kohlschreiber pulling out of his quarter-final, David Ferrer could make the final having played just two matches. In the unlikely event qualifier John Isner makes it through to face him, he will have already played seven matches. How fair is that?
