Tennis: Fed expressly wanted for Heineken Open

Roger Federer played in Auckland in 2000. Photo / Getty Images

Roger Federer is the No 1 target of the Heineken Open - and tournament officials remain confident the Swiss legend can be lured to Auckland.

Despite his fall in the world rankings to No 6, Federer, rated by many as the best player in history, is still seen as the biggest drawcard in tennis, even slightly ahead of world No1 Rafael Nadal and well in front of men such as Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro in his ability to bring in crowds and promote interest.

It might seem a pipe dream, as Federer manages his schedule extremely carefully, is in huge demand across the globe and doesn't come cheap but Heineken Open tournament director Karl Budge believes a "radical plan" could get Federer to the Queen City.

"With Roger, is it not all about money," Budge told the Herald on Sunday. "But we have to be realistic - we can't compete on that level with other tournaments and we need to think outside the square."

Budge has a plan on several levels. First, he hopes to involve Federer's large family of sponsors, making an appearance in Auckland an attractive proposition to them.

Federer's sponsors include Rolex, Nike and Wilson. Federer has also recently became the global ambassador for Moet & Chandon (replacing Scarlett Johansson) and the champagne company are keen to see him appear around the globe.

"We could come up with a package that is appealing to them," says Budge. "From simple things like having a Rolex clock on centre court to helping them hit media targets in key markets, especially Asia."

Budge has also discussed the idea of a fundraising event - perhaps a black tie dinner with Federer as a guest speaker - to raise money for Federer's foundation while he is in town and also hopes to leverage the new relationship with Sky City and its high value customers. Budge might also need some third party sponsorship, as a conservative estimate on Federer's appearance fee is at least $350,000, outside the current player recruitment budget.

The other stumbling block is the timing. Although he did earlier in his career, Federer doesn't usually play a tournament the week before the Australian Open, preferring instead to build up in Melbourne. However his appearance in Brisbane this year- after many years of playing in the Middle East - shows that he is trying different things in the twilight of his career.

"I'm always optimistic and believe it can happen," says Budge. "We have a good relationship with Roger and his team and it is entirely possible. He has also never won a match here - which I believe is one of, if not the only, tournament that he hasn't - so he may want to right that record."

Federer made his sole appearance in Auckland in 2000. Though ranked 61, he was obviously a huge star on the rise as he had held a ranking of 878 less than 18 months earlier. Unfortunately he drew an outside court and had a forgettable match.

"I remember playing [in Auckland] once," Federer told this writer back in 2010, when asked if he wanted to return one day. "I think it was also the time when [the] America's Cup was held there. I didn't win a whole lot of matches.

"I played on the outside court and lost first round to [Juan Carlos] Ferrero. Right now obviously the Middle East swing for me works very nice. But you never know in the future. I might always switch around my schedule. You never know. I'd like to come back."