Tennis: NZ sends in rookies for Davis Cup

The unavailability of New Zealand No1 Dan King-Turner means the New Zealand Davis Cup team will rely heavily on two United States-based rookies in their Asia/Oceania group two semifinal against Pakistan in Hawera next month.

Michael Venus, a fast-rising professional in his first year on tour, and well-performed college player Austen Childs will make their debuts in the tie.

The team also includes regular singles player Rubin Statham and Heineken Open doubles champion Marcus Daniell.

Captain Marcel Vos was confident the team could win the tie without the 248-ranked King-Turner, who has chosen instead to concentrate on tournament play in Europe.

Vos stopped short of saying he supported King-Turner's decision but said he did at least understand it.

"Tennis is a professional sport and you have to make some professional decisions in your career," Vos said.

"Dan obviously feels that this is in the best interests of his career and decided to play over in Europe. I respect his decision."

Vos was keen to concentrate on the inclusion of Venus - whose ranking will rise from its present mark of 530 thanks to a victory in a California Futures tournament last week - and the unranked Childs, who recently made the final of the prestigious NCAA championships.

"I think they will add a lot to our team," Vos said.

"They are both newcomers but they have shown great form of late. The timing is right."

Venus and Daniell, the country's top-ranked doubles player at 200, teamed up to win the doubles in the California tournament, giving them the inside track to make up the pairing against Pakistan.

"It was great for them to have the opportunity to match up and obviously they clicked," Vos said. "I am going to take that on board but it is not a 100 per cent sure thing yet. I want to get down there with the whole team, practise in Hawera and see the courts and then we make the decision."

Vos said he was not worried about going into the tie against a largely unknown quantity without a player ranked inside the top 400.

"The difference between 250 and 600 isn't that much at the end of the day. Obviously the experience would help but I am happy and excited with the team that we have."

Mt Maunganui-born Childs was a finalist at the New Zealand residential championships in December, where he was beaten by Daniell, and is a former quarter-finalist at the Australian Open junior championship.

North Shore-raised Venus, 22, has spent most of his teenage years living in the US, graduating from the Louisiana State University.

Venus has two Futures singles titles to his credit and four doubles titles.

The senior player in the team will be Statham, who has been as high as 294 in the world, but has a current rank of 413. Statham has been in the New Zealand team for the past six years, winning 13 of 16 matches.