Tennis: Spaniards to dominate as top guns stay home

There's no doubt the Heineken Open will be a wide-open tournament, but whether that is a good thing is debatable.

Tournament director Richard Palmer is keen to accentuate the positive, hailing as highly unpredictable a field dominated by Spanish battlers with whom Auckland tennis fans are well familiar.

"Pick a winner, I don't think you can," Palmer said. "If you look at the number of titles there are between the guys, there is over 50. A lot of them know how to win titles. And they have been here before and like it here. So it is very, very hard to say who is going to win it."

The other reason for that, of course, is that there is no stand-out player - no top-10 talent and no defending champion, with Juan Martin Del Potro having opted to play the Kooyong exhibition tournament.

Even Palmer concedes the field he has assembled - which boasts top-20 players Tommy Robredo and David Ferrer and eight more between 23 and 36 - has been a case of implementing Plan C.

Plan A was to bring Del Potro back. But that became an uphill battle as soon as the high-flying Argentinian won the US Open, elevating him to ranks of Grand Slam champion. Plan B was to snare a top-10 ranked replacement. But such a player also proved elusive.

"Every year it goes up a step but it has been that much tougher this year," Palmer admitted.

"With Del Potro it was a very close-run thing. If he had been runner up at the US Open [instead of winning it] I think he would have come back."

Players turning their backs on Auckland once they crack the big time is nothing new.

"It happened with [Rafael] Nadal. He went to that next level and hasn't come back since, despite saying he'd love to," Palmer said.

"We tried other big names obviously but when that wasn't working we went to a different strategy of, rather than spending all of our money on two or three players, let's try and spread it and get what we've never had before - lots of players in that 20-40 bracket."

The decision of many top players to either play lucrative exhibition tournaments, or not at all, in the week before the Australian Open is a major issue Palmer faces in his battle to recruit top names.

"There are two ATP events next week, us and Sydney," he said.

"Sydney has got [Gael] Monfils at 13 and [Thomas] Berdych at 20. That means 16 players in the top 20 are not playing ATP events the week before the Australian Open. [The ATP] have to do something about that.

"This is one year but if it keeps happening the tour have to look at it quite seriously."

Other issues include the difficulty players from countries from tennis strongholds such as Russia and Croatia face getting New Zealand visas - and an always tight budget.

Balanced against that, Palmer must cobble together a field of sufficient quality to keep both sponsors and spectators happy.

With tennis far from immune to the economic downturn, that is no easy task. Empty corporate boxes and half-filled stands have been a feature of this week's ASB Classic. With its early New Year start, when many businesses are still in shutdown mode, the women's event has always battled to sell hospitality packages.

But this year even the Heineken has struggled. Boxes for the tournament normally sell out in February the year before. They sold out again this year, but it was a close-run thing. Ticket pre-sales are down on last year's record, but have been tracking close to the average for the past seven years.

The one area the recession hasn't affected is player demands, Palmer wryly noted.

"Given the recession you think the asking rate would level out, but no way. They don't give a s**t if there is a recession."

The bottom line is that Palmer has assembled the best field he could.

Top seeds Robredo and Ferrer - the 2007 champion - will be favourites, while the likes of 2008 champion Philipp Kohlscheiber and big American John Isner could also make a run at the title.

The wildcard in the field, quite literally, is former world No 4 David Nalbandian. The Argentinian has been among the game's elite in recent years but is on the comeback from a shoulder injury. If the former Wimbledon finalist is fully fit and focused, no one will want to draw him.

As of yesterday there had been no withdrawals and no requests for the wildcard that is held in case it is claimed by a top player seeking extra match practice ahead of the Australian Open. If it isn't claimed by 7pm it will go to Kiwi No 2 Rubin Statham.

Top-ranked Kiwi Daniel King-Turner has already received a wildcard, so barring an unlikely run through qualifying from the likes of Marcus Daniell or Oliver Statham, the host country's challenge will be two strong.

With the field wide open, it would certainly be a good year for one of the Kiwis to make an impression on centre court.

But if recent years are anything to go by, that is about as likely as a top player choosing to turn their backs on a hefty cheque for an exhibition appearance to instead play in Auckland.

Tommy Robredo
Seed: 1
Country: Spain
Age: 27
Birthplace: Hostalric (resides Barcelona)
Plays: Right handed (One-handed backhand)
Tournament Entry Ranking: 16
Highest Singles Ranking: 5 (August 2006)

Appearing in Auckland for the third time, Robredo heads a typically strong Spanish charge in 2010. The 27-year-old has had mixed results in his previous visits here, exiting in the first round in 2005 but making the final in 2007.

The higher-ranked Robredo was heavily favoured heading into that showdown with countryman David Ferrer, but was blown out 6-4 6-2. He won two titles in 2009 and needs just one more to hit double figures.

In Costa Do Sauipe he beat Thomaz Bellucci in the final, while in Buenos Aires he beat fellow Auckland-regular Juan Monaco. The titles were part of a strong run which included two wins, a semifinal and a quarterfinal in South American tournaments.

Robredo also had a consistent but unspectacular year in Grand Slams, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open and the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

David Ferrer
Seed: 2
Country: Spain
Age: 27
Birthplace: Javea, Spain (resides Valencia, Spain)
Plays: Right handed (two-handed backhand)
Tournament Entry Ranking: 17
Highest Singles Ranking: 4 (February 2008)

The 2007 champ returns for his fifth straight year. His superb court coverage and solid ground strokes seem to suit Auckland - he has never failed to make at least the quarter-finals.

He has seven singles titles to his credit and seven losing finals appearances, accumulating just under US$7 million dollars in prize money to date.

His best performances in 2009 were two runner-up placings at Barcelona and Dubai. At Barcelona he beat Tommy Robredo and Fernando Gonzalez before losing to Rafael Nadal.

In Dubai, he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final after scoring solid victories over Ivan Lubicic, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Richard Gasquet.

Juan Carlos Ferrero
Seed: 3
Country: Spain
Age: 29
Birthplace: Onteniente, Spain (resides: Villena, Spain)
Plays: Right-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 23
Highest Singles Ranking: 1 (September 2003)

A better year in 2009 has the former world No 1 back close to the top echelon of world tennis and in good form for what will be his sixth appearance in Auckland.

Ferrero's first match in Auckland was an oft-recalled victory over Roger Federer on an outside court. Since then he has posted a modest 7-5 record at the Heineken, with his best effort being a run to the 2008 final, where he was defeated by Phillip Kohlschreiber.

The German also proved his nemesis last year, knocking him out in an epic second-round three-setter.

Last year, he gained his 12th title, accounting for Florent Serra on clay at Casablanca to end a six-year drought.

Nicolas Amalgro
Seed: 4
Country: Spain
Age: 24
Birthplace: Murcia, Spain (lives: Murcia, Spain)
Plays: Right-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 26
Highest Singles Ranking: 11 (July 2008)

Completing the quartet of Spanish top seeds - what is it about Auckland and Spaniards? - Almagro has been as high as 11 in the world.

A typical Spanish clay courter, he hasn't found Auckland's Rebound Ace surface much to his liking, winning a match and then losing his second in each of the past three years.

His fourth seeding means he receives a bye into the second round, but there won't be too many players desperate to avoid Almagro in the draw. Last year he reached the third round in all four Grand Slams, which appears to be about his level.

Philipp Kohlschreiber
Seed: 5
Country: Germany
Age: 27
Birthplace: Augsburg, Germany (resides: Alstaetten, Switzerland)
Plays: Right-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 27
Highest Singles Entry: 22 (September 2009)

The surprise winner of the 2008 Heineken Open, the self-proclaimed action-movie buff is back after another solid year on the Tour in 2009.

The technically sound German has an outstanding 11-3 singles record in Auckland, having won his last seven matches - a streak dating back to the 2007 quarter-finals, when he was beaten by Robredo.

Last year he exited without losing a match, withdrawing from his quarter-final against Ferrer after aggravating a shoulder injury in a marathon second-round victory over Ferrero.

Given that it denied the tournament of two of its drawcards in one hit, his decision to pull out shortly after KOing the popular Spaniard wasn't overly well received.

Jurgen Melzer
Seed: 6
Country: Austria
Age: 29
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria (resides: Deutsch-Wagram, Austria)
Plays: Left-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 28
Highest Singles Ranking: 26 (May 2009)

The Austrian capped off a moderate 2009 by his standards with a victory in his final event of the year in Vienna. Dominik Hrbaty, Radek Stepanek, Janko Tipsarevic and Marin Cilic were defeated on the way. This is his second visit to Auckland, in 2008 he was eliminated by Ferrero in the second round.

Juan Monaco
Seed: 7
Country: Argentina
Age: 26
Birthplace: Tandil, Argentina (resides: Buenos Aires)
Plays: Right-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 30
Highest Singles Ranking: 14 (February 2008)

Monaco has been to Auckland enough for avid Heineken watchers to know the most eye-catching thing about him is his girlfriend. At least, sadly, it was. Stunning actress/model Luisana Lopilato, who was in Auckland with Monaco in 2008, appears to have left him for a singer called Michael Buble. A sad day indeed.

Albert Montanes
Seed: 8
Country: Spain
Birthdate: November 26th, 1980
Birthplace: Sant Carles de la Rapita (resides: Barcelona, Spain)
Plays: Right-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 31
Highest Singles Entry: 29 (May 2009)

The fifth Spanish seed is by far the weakest of the bunch. He first entered the top-100 in 2001. A clay-court specialist, Montanes keeps coming back to Auckland despite usually exiting in the first round. In four visits here he has won just one match - against Kiwi wildcard Rubin Statham. Nuff said.

David Nalbandian
Seed: Wildcard
Country: Argentina
Age: 28
Birthplace: Cordoba, Argentina
Plays: Right-handed
Tournament Entry Ranking: 64
Highest Singles Ranking: 3 (March 2006)

Former world No3 David Nalbandian is using the Heineken Open as a stepping stone back from injury.

The 28-year-old from Cordoba was ranked in the top 20 when his return to Auckland was announced late last year but that ranking has since tumbled to 64 as the ranking points dropped due to his inactivity after hip surgery kicked in.

With 10 ATP singles titles and 10 finals to his credit he has been in the top echelon of men's tennis for the past eight years.

In his first professional grass tournament, Nalbandian shocked the tennis world with a run to the final of Wimbledon before losing to Lleyton Hewitt. Nalbandian hasn't played in Auckland since 2003, when he went out in the first round.