KEY POINTS:
With one urine sample, Dan King-Turner found himself on top of the New Zealand tennis ladder.
It wasn't a particularly high ladder by world standards but he was on the top rung nonetheless after long-time Kiwi No 1 Mark Nielsen was banned for two years after returning a positive drugs test in March.
King-Turner was in South Korea at the time, playing a couple of Futures events before stepping into Nielsen's shoes for the Davis Cup tie against Kazakhstan. He also took on greater responsibility.
"I was quite shocked when I found out [about Nielsen]," King-Turner said. "I didn't really know what had happened but I realised it meant I was No 1, even if I didn't get there by my own merits. Hopefully now I have stamped a bit of authority so that I deserve to be No 1."
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a modicum of success this year, winning his first Futures singles title in July and making the final of another. A fortnight ago he also added a Futures doubles crown to bring his year's earnings to US$13,322.
Yesterday he also won through to today's final of the New Zealand Residential Championships, where he will meet Adam Thompson.
In a country which has enjoyed considerable success in the past, these are somewhat mediocre returns. But the landscape has changed since the days when Onny Parun, Brian Fairlie, Chris Lewis, Brett Steven, Russell Simpson and Kelly Evernden all made the world's top 50.
King-Turner is ranked 468th in the world after starting 2006, his first full year as a professional, at 673rd.
"I'm happy with how the year has gone," he declared. "Being in the top 500 is a good achievement in my first full year. My goal, ever since I was young, was to be top 50 or 100. Being realistic, if I keep improving like I am, I definitely see myself being top 100.
"I have played guys ranked about 150, like Mark Philippoussis. I hit the ball as well as those guys. I guess it's just experience, mental. It's being able to play well week after week."
King-Turner will get a chance to show the New Zealand public just how much he has improved at January's Heineken Open. He was handed a wildcard to the event last week.
It will be King-Turner's second appearance at the Heineken Open, after he went down 6-2 6-2 to German Florian Mayer in the first round this year. It was his debut ATP Tour event - and also his biggest cheque after he banked US$4180.
"I feel like I'm playing a lot better now," he said. "I now have the experience of a full year on the tour and I know what it's like to play a guy in the world's top 100 so I'm really looking forward to it."
The tennis community is really looking forward to him, or any other Kiwi, breaking into that elusive world's top 100.
