Tennis: Keen Kiwi Michael Venus hopes to build on his form at Australian Open

Specialist Multimedia Sports Journalist·NZ Herald·

21 Jan, 2015 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Michael Venus lost a tight match to Frenchman Lucas Pouille at the Heineken Open. Picture / Jason Oxenham

Michael Venus has yet to take the court in Melbourne, but some early results at the Australian Open have provided another small boost to his burgeoning career.

The New Zealand No1, who made history last week by advancing to the second round of the Heineken Open, plays his first-round doubles match today. With Austrian Oliver Marach, he faces Peter Gojowczyk (Poland) and Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic).

Venus is looking to continue a rich vein of doubles form, which saw him reach the third round at the Australian and US Opens in 2014 and bank more than $110,000 in prizemoney across the year.

But it was his singles exploits that captured the imagination last week and a couple of matches here have put a new perspective on those performances.

In Auckland Venus beat Alejandro Gonzalez - saving four match points - then lost a tight match to Frenchman Lucas Pouille. In Melbourne the Colombian Gonzalez defeated world No20 Fabio Fognini in the first round while Pouille pushed Gael Monfils to the limit in a five-set thriller.

"It shows the level that Mike is capable of," said coach William Ward. "It's all about opportunities ... when he gets a chance against these players he can rise to that standard."

"[Last week] showed me that I have the belief now and moving forward I know I can play with these guys," said Venus. "I was down at times but I managed to refocus and come back."

Venus is a late bloomer. He turns 28 this year but has found career-best form, thanks to his doubles success which has dragged his ranking into the top 60. It's meant invaluable time among the big guns, at the bigger tournaments.

"Ninety-five per cent of performance at this level is upstairs and Mike now believes he belongs at this level," said Ward. "The good thing is he is not even close to touching the ceiling with what he can achieve."

That's why the former Davis Cup representative has been coaching Venus on a part-time basis, taking time off from his sports marketing job to assist around major campaigns. The rest of the time Venus is alone on the road, spending up to 11 months a year away and relying on online communication.

"We use text or Skype to try and explain what is happening, how it can be fixed but it's a bit of trial and error," says Venus. "I'd love to have a fulltime coach and my tennis would improve a lot quicker but financially it's just not possible."

Taking a coach on the circuit costs between $120,000 and $140,000 - not feasible for anyone outside the top 100 or without support from their national body.

Despite that reality, it feels as if Venus is leading a mini-resurgence in New Zealand men's tennis. It isn't near the level of Brett Steven, Chris Lewis or Russell Simpson, but in their own way Venus, Sitak and Marcus Daniell are making their mark on the sport.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Davis Cup player Artem Sitak, playing alongside Benjamin Becker, is into the second round of the doubles after beating Gilles Muller and Igor Sijsling 6-3, 6-4 yesterday.