Tennis: Heineken Open day two preview

Rubin Statham faces Columbian world number 112 Alejandro Falla. Photo / Getty Images

Herald tennis reporters David Skipwith and Michael Burgess preview day two of the Heineken Open in Auckland.

Kiwi Statham steps up
Kiwi fans will want to get their seats early to catch the first centre court match of the day, between hometown wildcard Rubin Statham and Columbian world number 112 Alejandro Falla.

Statham was the winner at last week's invitational tournament in Te Anau and is looking good after missing a large chunk of last season with a torn elbow ligament injury.
His opponent will be looking for redemption after advancing as a lucky loser, following Monday's straight sets defeat to France's Kenny De Schepper.

High hopes for Croatian wildcard
All eyes will be on 18-year-old Croatian wildcard and world No95, Borna Coric, when he takes on 49th-ranked Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta.

Coric enjoyed a phenomenal 2014 season, becoming the first 17-year-old since Nadal to break into the world's top 100, and claiming some big-name scalps, including a win in Basel over Heineken Open second seed Ernests Gulbis, and a quarter-final victory over world No3 Nadal.

Can he continue that form in Auckland and replicate Nadal's 2004 run to the Heineken Open final?

Double trouble
The world's best ever doubles pair and current number one combination, the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, will take centre court to face German Andre Begemann and Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

The identical twins both use single-handed backhands and are sure to entertain with their renowned attacking style of play and chest-bumping celebrations.
Their opponents have respectable individual doubles rankings (Begemann 41, Haase 45) and together they finished last season as the 37th ranked combination, yet they face a tough task to topple their more illustrious rivals.

Venus looks to break drought
A New Zealand male hasn't beaten an overseas player in the Heineken Open since Mark Nielsen's feats in 2002. Michael Venus is the best placed to change that today, as he has slightly more weapons that compatriot Statham. It will still be an uphill struggle for the World No 427 Venus, against seasoned Columbian Alejandro Gonzalez, who is ranked more than 300 places above him.

However Venus has a serve that can trouble anyone and a forehand that is capable of damage. He also has experience at this stage (he had wildcards in 2011 and 2012) and his success in grand slam doubles last year has helped his mental game.

2014 Finalist in action
The last match of the night on centre court could be a ripper. It features 2014 finalist Yen-Hsun Lu against tough baseliner Juan Monaco.

It should be an entertaining affair and has three sets written all over it, with Lu retaining many fans in Auckland after his surprise run last year.

Best of the rest.
There's plenty of action on the outside courts today, with five singles matches and one doubles clash. The pick of the games could be Czech qualifier Jiri Vesley against Brazillian left hander Thomaz Bellucci. The sixth (Santiago Giraldo)and seventh seeds (Guillermo Garcia-Lopez) are also playing on the outside courts while American Donald Young meets Japanese qualifier Go Soeda.