Tennis: Greenhalgh has big plans for NZ team

Among the smattering of spectators at a windswept North Shore Tennis Centre recently was one who was taking more interest than most. He might have had his favourites considering he has coached a few in his time but he was casting his eye over some of the country's best tennis players, no doubt looking at them in a different light.

James Greenhalgh was last week named as the new Davis Cup captain to take over from Bruce Derlin, who oversaw a difficult era as New Zealand suffered the ignominy of being relegated into Asia/Oceania group two.

The Davis Cup captaincy was once a position of great prestige in New Zealand tennis and was presided over by names like Jeff Robson (1975-1983) and Jeff Simpson (1984-2000) when New Zealand players made an impression on the world stage.

Greenhalgh's first task is to assemble a team to take on Lebanon in February and he breezily walked out at North Harbour recently with the same sort of enthusiasm he displayed as a player to watch some of his potential charges at the New Zealand Residential Championships.

Tennis is in a sorry state at the moment, with egos and back-stabbing part and parcel of the game, but Greenhalgh represents an opportunity to emerge from that and create a new era of professionalism. Only 30 years old, the former Davis Cup player seemingly carries no baggage along with a desire to steer clear of power politics.

Chat to him, though, and there is a weariness in his answers and, at times, he sounds like he's in a job interview. Being so new to the role, he doesn't want to say the wrong thing and offend or get offside with anyone. But it's his overwhelming enthusiasm that shines through.

"I think that's part of the reason why I have been given this position because I was always patriotic to New Zealand and played with a lot of passion," he enthused, sounding like Kiwis coach Brian McClennan. "The more of that the better, it's playing for your country. You're no longer an individual competing for yourself - that's one of the things I will be stressing to the players."

It seems like an age ago now but Greenhalgh was first picked for the Davis Cup team as a fresh-faced 17-year-old in 1992 for a tie against Korea. Before then, he had been an outstanding junior in the country having won national singles and doubles titles at under-18, under-16, under-14, under-13, under-12 and intermediate school levels and went on in 1993 to claim junior grand slam doubles titles with Steven Downs at both the French Open and Wimbledon. He and Downs were seen as the two likeliest to carry on New Zealand's proud tradition in tennis but never really reached the lofty heights some had hoped for. He retired from the game in 2001 to move into coaching.

He reached a respectable career-high singles ranking of 327 in 1995 and 89 in doubles in 1999 after winning the ATP doubles tournament in Hong Kong with Grant Silcock (when Andre Agassi withdrew after claiming the singles) and had deposited US$104,001 (NZ$153,000) in the bank.

At Davis Cup level, it was his ability as a doubles player that stood out as he amassed an 11-win, two-loss record that saw New Zealand consistently challenge for a place in the world group.

"He became an integral part of my team," former captain Jeff Simpson explained. "Even though tennis is an individual sport, he was always very supportive of the team, even when he wasn't playing. I think he will do a very good job [as captain] because he understands the Davis Cup and has played at that level and played in important matches.

"Being 30 is probably a bit young but he brings a lot of enthusiasm and has been coaching for a few years now."

One of the key ingredients to a successful team, according to Simpson, is to have "everybody rowing the boat in the same direction". That, of course, is easier said than done and Derlin had to endure players making themselves unavailable for one reason or another, as well as unwanted criticism. "He has to deal with and know all of his players individually because you can't treat them all the same," Simpson added. "You have to know how to handle that in a professional way. I think he's capable of doing that."

Assuming Lebanon is taken care of, New Zealand will travel to play the winner of Kuwait and Kazakhstan before a possible tie with Indonesia for a place back in Asia/Oceania group one. "We are not looking that far ahead," Greenhalgh rolls out impeccably, taking a lead from rugby's school of coachspeak.

He does let his guard down enough, however, to illustrate some of the ambition he will bring to the job, and there's an underlying desire to succeed. "I don't see the New Zealand Davis Cup team staying in group two," he said with determination. "I'm not happy being in group two. I don't think anyone in New Zealand who supports tennis would be happy if we stayed there."

It's now up to Greenhalgh to make it happen. In its present position, and with the limited talent stocks available, New Zealand is unlikely to set the tennis world alight, certainly in the short term. But it can now look forward to 2006 with a relatively clean slate under the guidance of a clean-cut, new Davis Cup captain.

He experienced success as a Davis Cup player - it will take some turnaround if he's to experience similar success as a captain.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY