John Isner has won his second Heineken Open, beating Yen-Hsun Lu in straight sets at Stanley St this afternoon.

David Ferrer has come to be comfortable with being a tennis anomaly. Ranked World No 3, Ferrer sits alongside the likes of Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray, yet rarely is he considered in the same company as the 'big four'.

Mark down day three of the Heineken Open as the day of the US onslaught.

Fifth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber needed to draw on all his 10 years of experience playing in Auckland's unique Stanley St venue to get past his first-round opponent.

The parlous state of New Zealand tennis was laid bare on the opening day of the Heineken Open, with all three Kiwi hopes outclassed in the qualifying rounds.

Professional sport is becoming an increasingly younger athlete's business but it doesn't seem to be the case in tennis.

There is probably as much chance of a home-grown male singles champion at the Australian Open as there is of Lleyton Hewitt arriving at Melbourne Park.

Lucky Michael Jenks has been picked from 19,000 competition entrants to spend a week in an apartment overlooking the centre court at the Heineken Open.

Onny Parun has backed the decision not to award main draw wildcards to local players.

Global tennis star Rafael Nadal is being lined up to play in the Auckland tennis open next month, nine years after he appeared on the backcourts as a virtual unknown.

Olivier Rochus has been handed a wildcard to next month's Heineken Open but there's a possibility that no Kiwis will feature in the main draw.