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Auckland tennis officials are hoping for a positive spinoff from dropping the size of the men's international singles field in January from 32 to 28.
The adjustment - also being done by organisers of the concurrent Medibank tournament in Sydney, the week before the Australian Open starts - means the top four seeds will get byes into the second round. That means a maximum four matches not five, and the word from the leading players is that's likely to have them look more favourably on a trip to Auckland.
The January 12-17 Heineken Open, with prizemoney up from US$464,000 ($690,000) this year to close to US$500,000, is chasing a slice of the action among the game's leading players.
Tournament organiser Richard Palmer knows there will be some grumbles from the fans - allied to the issue of players getting their cheques more easily - but he believes there is a clear upside.
"The top players have made it quite clear that in the week preceding Grand Slams they're not keen on playing potentially five matches, and would prefer four," he said yesterday.
"We've responded to that, and so have Sydney. We've informed the players we're targeting and straight away they've said 'that's good, it's something worth considering'."
It means top seeds won't be in action until at least Tuesday, and in some cases Wednesday, but they rarely played on Mondays anyway. The reduction should not lead to a trimming from the present three wildcards, two of which often go to New Zealanders.
But if it sounds like pandering to the game's stars, it could also be a deal-clincher to secure a top signature.
The other worry for the official ATP tournaments at this time of year is the lure of the rich exhibition events, most notably at Kooyong in Melbourne, the same week as Auckland.
World No 2 Roger Federer, No 4 Andy Murray and No 11, power-hitting Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, the Auckland winner in 2005, are known to be heading to Kooyong.
"We're trying to claw any little advantage to get top players here. By trying to align ourselves to their needs, we increase the likelihood of securing a stronger field," Palmer said.
Once Sydney announced they had been given permission to trim their field to 28, Auckland had to follow suit.
"If we didn't, we'd have been further behind the eight-ball," he said.
It's an open secret that in the week before a Grand Slam, some players don't particularly want to make a final, which extends their stay and can make for a rushed buildup in the city of the major tournament. Players would rather settle for two or three matches then head off to tune up their game on the practice courts.
Four matches, not five, plus a guaranteed late start in Melbourne might just persuade them to change their thinking.
In a hugely competitive situation, if Palmer can secure a top 10 player he'll be doing well.
The likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, world No's 1 and 3, are out of reach, but his best chance might be world No 5 David Ferrer, the winner of last year's all-Spanish final against Tommy Robredo in Auckland.
