Michael Burgess: Developing local talent remains priority

Michael Venus' Heineken Open win last year was cheered wildly. Photo / photosport.nz

Amid all the justified hype about next month's ASB Classic tennis tournaments, there is one disturbing scenario to ponder. Both events have again attracted strong fields, with the women's featuring three former world No 1s easily the best ever.

In terms of rankings depth, the ASB Classic will eclipse almost all tournaments of equivalent prizemoney across 2016, a staggering achievement.

But while more world class players are lured Down Under, the prospects for future Kiwi participation is bleak.

Marina Erakovic has been a wonderful flag-bearer for New Zealand tennis, carrying the sport for almost a decade. Her ranking has bottomed out with ongoing injury problems and though she will likely return to the top 100, the 27-year-old can't go on forever. Behind her, there is no one in the top 1000, though 17-year-old junior Rosie Cheng has potential.

Michael Venus is again the local wild card for the men's tournament in 2016, hoping to reprise his historic feat of this year, when he was the first Kiwi to beat an overseas player at the event since 2002.

Venus probably has the game to be a top-200 player but the 28-year-old has made the economic decision to focus on doubles.

Finn Tearney has rocketed almost 1000 places up the world rankings to 362 but still has a long way to go, 28-year-old Rubin Statham is in the twilight of his career, and Artem Sitak and Marcus Daniell are now doubles specialists.

The vitality of New Zealand tennis at professional level is not a new topic but is an ongoing concern because the sport needs local heroes.

They also create some of the best memories - and drama - at Stanley Street. No one who was there will quickly forget Venus' win in January, where the crowd would have lifted the long-proposed roof when he hit the game-winning backhand after saving several match points.

That night almost matched the fervour created by Erakovic's stunning run in 2008, when she beat two top-20 players on the way to the semifinals.

If diagnosing the problem is simple, finding a solution is far more complicated. Great Britain - with a budget at least 50 times greater than Tennis New Zealand - have two top 150 players, aside from the self-made talents of Andy Murray.

Australia's massive investment has started to pay dividends only in the past few years and the United States, for all their resources and infrastructure, have just four players in the top 50.

But that doesn't mean it is impossible and Tennis New Zealand, along with Tennis Auckland, need to focus on that area as a priority.