Tennis: Venus beckons as Lewis enters a galaxy of stars

Jade Lewis will be stretching out on Tuesday when she meets the powerful former World No 1 Venus Williams. Photo / Photosport

From gatherer to hunter.

It was not so long ago that Jade Lewis was a ball kid at the ASB Classic - but later this week the New Zealand wildcard will face one of the biggest names of the sport on centre court.

Up until 2011, Lewis - the niece of 1983 Wimbledon finalist Chris - did her retrieving duties at Stanley Street, watching some of the biggest names in the sport up close.

She was then just another aspiring youngster, hoping for an autograph or photo from some of the professionals.

But on Tuesday, Lewis will be centre of attention, as she takes on Venus Williams in the first round of the ASB Classic. It's a remarkable scenario and the steepest learning curve imaginable. The 18-year-old Lewis will be playing her first WTA tour match, against Williams who has clocked up more than 900.

"It's a bit daunting but it's pretty cool as well," said Lewis. "All in all it's pretty exciting. She is one of the best players in the world and someone I have watched for a long, long time. I just need to go out there and see what happens."

Lewis was given a wildcard earlier this week on the strength of some promising results on the ITF junior circuit and an impressive display against world No 61 Lauren Davis in ASB Classic qualifying last year.

If direct entry into the main draw was a stroke of fortune, fate did her no favours yesterday. At the draw ceremony - which was conducted outside Sky City, with Croatian Ana Konjuh completing a jump off the tower before helping with the allocation - Lewis's chip was the last in the 32-player field to be picked, consigning her to the match with the second seed.

It has happened before to Kiwi wildcards - with Sacha Jones drawing top seed Vera Zvonareva in 2008 and world No27 Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2011 - but Williams is as daunting as they come.

Though in the twilight of her career, the 2015 ASB Classic champion still possesses one of the biggest serves in the women's game and is also a brutal returner. Her aggressive style will make it difficult for Lewis to settle into a rhythm, and the American tends to keep the rallies short.

"I'll do plenty of study " there is a lot to focus on," said Lewis. "But I also need to enjoy the occasion. I've been watching Venus since I was about seven years old ... she is one of the icons of the sport so it is a great opportunity to be playing her on centre court."

Father David - a former ATP professional and Davis Cup representative - also doubles as Jade's coach, and was waiting nervously for the results of the draw yesterday.

"We were training but I got a text from a friend," said David. "It said 'Tough draw, gee that's a tough draw'. I immediately thought Serena, but Venus is also as tough. People talk about being thrown in at the deep end but this is more. This is like going from the swimming pool to the ocean. It's tough for Jade but it's also incredibly exciting and that is how she has to approach it."