KEY POINTS:
Graham Windross admits he is a tennis nut.
And Auckland Tennis officials should give him the run of the ASB Tennis Centre after Windross was revealed yesterday as the man who provided key financial backing to secure the US$500,000 ($641,242) required to confirm the ASB Classic as a longterm fixture on the new international women's circuit.
But you certainly won't see the joint managing director of Zealandia Horticulture prancing about in a suit calling the shots either. He is a low-key, highly successful businessman who has been able to combine lifting his company's profile with doing something for a sport he loves.
"I see it as a good fit for Zealandia [the country's leading wholesale nursery, and providers of floral arrangements at the tennis HQ in recent seasons] and I knew it was going to be of assistance to the tournament and tennis in general," he said yesterday.
The money is paid to the WTA in five instalments. It is a one-off payment - separate from the annual US$225,000 prizemoney the Classic must stump up, and that's likely to rise in years to come - which puts Auckland on the map as one of 55 tournaments on the new calendar. The season starts in January with the Classic and a tournament in Brisbane.
Windross has played tennis for years, firstly for Campbell Park, latterly in the winter business house competition. Popular Slovenian player Katarina Srebotnik stayed with his family during her visits to Auckland - which included bagging the singles and doubles titles in 2005 - and Windross was chuffed to get an excited phone call this week after the world No 24 toppled Serena Williams at the French Open.
The old tier system has been replaced by a programme of "premier" and "international" tournaments. Thirty-four events, including Auckland, have a minimum US$225,000 prize money. That cost will be handled by the tournament sponsors and Auckland Tennis.
New tournament director Brenda Perry replaces longtime organiser Richard Palmer, who is shifting to run the men's Heineken Open, which runs the week following the Classic in Auckland.
The new regulations for the WTA circuit allow the Classic to have a top 10 player in the field, a change from past seasons where players, such as Russian Nadia Petrova and last year's winner, current world No 3 Jelena Jankovic, were discouraged from returning to Auckland because their rankings had moved into single figures.
However Perry is cautious on the top 10 talk, while acknowledging it is a great selling point for the event.
"In year one [of the new tour] we should have a pretty good chance," she said. "But I don't think we can sit here and say there will be a top 10 player here. That would be misleading. The key is that there is the potential for that. It opens a huge door."
Provided top players have fulfilled their obligations to higher rated tournaments they can look more favourably at Auckland. Those tournaments putting up the biggest purse have more pulling power with the top players; similarly tournaments such as Auckland's get an advantage over those offering US$50,000.
Perry is off to the US Open in August, with Palmer, but wouldn't speculate on which players she had her eye on. Next year will have a longer off-season for players, but more mandatory events and less flexibility for players' schedules, with stiffer penalties for transgressions.
CHANGING FACE OF WOMEN'S TENNIS
* Next year's Women's Tennis Association (WTA) circuit will comprise 55 tournaments - 19 "premier" tournaments (prizemoney ranging from US$600,000-US$2 million), 34 "international" tournaments (minimum US$225,000) and two end-of-year events - plus the four grand slam events.
* The end-of-year tournaments are the Sony Ericsson championship in Doha for the top eight players (US$4.5 million) and the Tournament of Champions in Bali, based on results in the "international" tournaments only (US$600,000).
* Prizemoney on the circuit is up to US$84.4 million, a 40 per cent increase overall.
* The ASB Classic prizemoney has risen 55 per cent from US$145,000 to US$225,000 and the tournament is allowed to attract a top 10 player.
* Auckland and Brisbane host the opening tournaments starting on January 5, sharing the week with the annual Hopman Cup teams event in Perth and possibly a Hong Kong exhibition tournament.
