Tennis: From Russia with love for NZ

Artem Sitak. Photo / Getty Images

Artem Sitak was about 17 when he gazed at a globe and wondered what the little country was at the bottom.

He hadn't really heard of New Zealand before so decided to find out more. When he saw some pictures, he determined this would be where he would live one day. In 2008, Sitak started efforts to play Davis Cup for New Zealand. He hadn't even been to the country before - that didn't happen until March 2009 - but contacted Tennis New Zealand to see if they would help him qualify.

A fortnight ago, the 25-year-old gained New Zealand citizenship and this week will play for his adopted country in New Zealand's Asia Oceania Group I tie against Uzbekistan.

It will be a homecoming of sorts. Sitak was born in Orenburg in Russia's south, near Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and played a lot of junior tennis with Uzbekistan No 1 and world No 54 Denis Istomin. He speaks the language, knows the area well and will act as the team's tour guide and interpreter.

His main task, however, will be winning tennis matches. At 348 in the world, Sitak is New Zealand's second-ranked player, just four places behind Michael Venus, but has been as high as 299. Crucially, he adds depth to a side which won promotion from Group II last year and his game is suited to the indoor clay courts they will use this week.

Sitak hasn't fulfilled the potential he showed as a youngster. At 12, his parents shipped him to a tennis academy in Germany; the following year he was signed to international sports agency SFX which has had Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg and Andre Agassi on their books; and in 2001 he won the Orange Bowl, assuming the mantle as the world's No 1 14-year-old. His intake that year included Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.

But a series of injuries and a catalogue of different coaches saw him slip behind his contemporaries and he's lived a nomadic existence at various times - calling France, Germany, the US, Switzerland and Italy home. Now it's Auckland.

It's not as if he's here that often. Last year he played in 36 tournaments across the globe he once scanned.

"That's too many," Sitak says, before enduring a 35-hour trip to Uzbekistan. "You have to be smarter than that. Being ranked in the 300s means it feels like every week is an opportunity and you don't want to miss out on that opportunity to climb the rankings.

"Anyone in the 300s can beat a player in the top 100 in a match but you have to be consistent. I have beaten a lot of top players but couldn't do it in the next match. I haven't been smart in my decisions. I won't play any more than 25 tournaments this year."

In 2011, he's lost in qualifying for both the Heineken Open and another ATP Tour event in San Jose and lost in the first round of a Challenger event in Singapore. He's not interested in playing the lower-tiered Futures events and aims to break into the top 150 by the end of the year.

It's the sort of goal a lot of tennis players can easily say but often fail to achieve. It's difficult living on struggle street, chasing ranking points and money.

But Sitak couldn't be happier: "It's wonderful right now," he says. "I'm a New Zealand citizen living in Auckland. It's something I have wanted for so long and it's happened. I've been so excited for the last few weeks and I've been training four to five hours a day to get ready for five-set matches."

Sitak isn't likely to be the top-level player New Zealand tennis has been waiting for since the retirement of Brett Steven - but he has the potential to be a successful touring professional and decent Davis Cup player.

He gets the first chance to prove that next weekend in a place now considered a long way from home.

ARTEM SITAK

* Age: 25

* Ranking: 348

* Career high: 299

* Earnings: US$110,379

* Sitak has beaten Andy Murray and Gael Monfils and once had two match points against world No 1 Rafael Nadal in a junior world teams tournament.