By TERRY MADDAFORD
A determination to cut funding for the national teams appears to have cost Mark Lewis and Glenn Wilson their coaching roles with New Zealand's Fed Cup and Davis Cup squads.
Newly-renamed Tennis New Zealand yesterday announced the appointment of Pavlina Nola and Bruce Derlin to the national women's and men's teams.
Lewis and Wilson confirmed they had reapplied for their jobs.
"I'm very disappointed," Lewis said.
"As far as I'm concerned I have not done anything wrong. I went through the interview process last week and was called in by [TNZ chief executive] Mark Graham the following day and told I was their No 1 choice.
"He then offered me terms very different than I had had for the past four years. There was no hint during the interview there would be a cutback.
"I expected a similar fee and we are not talking a lot of money for doing the same job."
In the end Lewis opted out.
"There is a principal involved," said Lewis, who had doubled the cup squad to eight in his time with the team. "I certainly didn't ask for any more money."
Wilson said he was not offered the Davis Cup job, despite reapplying.
"My proposal was more wide-ranging and obviously more expensive. I was keen to carry on, but they didn't offer me the job."
Derlin, Australian-born to German parents but living in New Zealand for almost 38 years, reached 105 on the world rankings in 1984 and played 15 Davis Cup ties.
"The Davis Cup programme requires some rebuilding which will start now," the 41-year-old Derlin said. "I'm going to try to get a group of nine or 10 together. Everyone will be considered.
"We have to do something. My attitude is that we have to give these kids the help they need. Others might feel inclined to switch off the lights and shut up shop given our recent results. That's not my way."
Nola, born in Bulgaria, was ranked as high as 68 on the WTA list and played in 15 Grand Slam singles tournaments.
She played Fed Cup for three years for Bulgaria and in the German Bundesliga as No 3 in a team behind Kim Clijsters and Barbara Schett.
Graham also released plans yesterday for closer co-operation between TNZ and Tennis Australia, aimed at getting more New Zealand players into international tournaments in Australia.
Tennis: Game over for some
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