KEY POINTS:
Tommy Robredo has revealed himself as a man with a touch of Chinese warlord Sun Tzu to him, and now he's one win away from the perfect start to the year.
The world No 7 justified his top seeding for the Heineken Open with a straight sets 6-4 6-0 demolition of Argentine Agustin Calleri last night after a frustrating day of inactivity.
Calleri went toe-to-toe with Robredo for the first set, but when his serve was broken at the start of the second, and 3-0 down, he called for treatment for stiffness in his lower back.
That injury problem did for him as Robredo marched on to today's final.
Before facing seventh seed Calleri, Robredo had explained his strategy for each match.
Sun Tzu, the Chinese general and military strategist from the sixth century, BC, wrote The Art of War - the book which, if they are to be believed, sits in the back pocket of every second coach these days.
Sun Tzu would have approved as the 24-year-old Spaniard said: "Before the battle, you have to make a good tactic to destroy the enemy, no?"
Robredo's tactic last night was to stay in the rallies and wait for Calleri to err. Robredo had three break points in the second game, a further four in the sixth, and three more in the 10th game, the last of which he took.
The second set was a formality, the contest taking 66min.
Robredo can focus on winning a fifth ATP Tour singles title, to follow one in 2001, another in 2004 and two last year, the Masters title in Hamburg in May, then at Bastad, in Sweden two months later, all four on clay.
The pair had belatedly started their semifinal at 1.50pm but after just seven points the rain parked itself over Auckland, setting up a 4h 45min wait.
Permutations were pondered in the break. Arrangements were fluid. At one time, both semifinals and the final were slotted in for today. Tomorrow is the spare day and can be used if today is wet.
In the interim, a 30-year-old man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and trespass.
But the rest of the spectators were, like cricket spectators in the same situation, patient. They watched and waited.
The ASB Tennis Centre was a soulless place as the hours trickled by but once the court was dry, Robredo warmed things up.
Calleri had his moments, but lacked reliability on either wing. Where Robredo held his serve reasonably comfortably, it was a constant battle for world No 30 Calleri.
Robredo amused himself in the break with computer games and "watching the clouds".
"It's been a long last two days, but that's the way it is sometimes. The important thing is to finish and win."
Robredo is confident of finishing the week on the right note today.
"When someone is on top of the rankings it's because he deserves it," he said.
"It's not a matter of luck; it means that for the last year he was better than all the rest behind him. That gives confidence."
The doubles matches were switched indoors to North Harbour.
South African Jeff Coetzee and Dutchman Roger Wassen didn't mind the inconvenience. They romped past Belgians Olivier Rochus and Kristof Vliegen 6-1 6-3, then beat South Americans Luis Horna and Nicolas Lapentti for the loss of five games.
In the final, they will play top seeds Simon Aspelin of Sweden and South Africa's Chris Haggard, who beat Czech Republic pair Peter Pala and David Skoch 6-6-3 6-7 (3-7) 10-4.
