2006 Auckland Diary
IT'S THAT CHERISHED INITIAL TROPHY FOR BARTOLI AND FINLAND'S FINISHER

AUCKLAND -- A new year in New Zealand. This was the bright, sunny way to kick off 2006 as the new tennis campaign began unfolding. The place to be was that jewel box of a tennis parlor, the ASB Centre on Stanley Street. Small, intimate. Up-close-and-very-friendly where every seat is good, even though the west stand calls for brave bottoms on the concrete tiers. I call it the Tennis Pearl of the Pacific, structurally one of the last of the aged, earlier era spectating gems, much like the game's elder, The Casino at Newport, Rhode Island.

For Marion Bartoli and Jarkko Nieminem the dusky green playpen with shade trees edging the three back courts will hold special meaning. Here they made the cherished breakthroughs to initial championships. An annual fortnight of tennis is split between the first week for the women, the ASB Classic, the second for the men, the Heineken Open. Bartoli, who came in at No. 33, went at it grabbing with both hands on both sides, a la Monica Seles, to beat No. 36 Vera Zvonareva for the title, 6-2, 6-2. In fact Marion's father, Dr. Walter Bartoli, had suggested that style to his 6-year-old in 1990 after watching Seles's French Open triumph on TV.

Of course plenty of tournaments have been won by French citizens. But Finland hasn't had much luck in such acquisitions - until the swift and deceptive lefty, No. 26 Jarkko broke his maiden as they say of jockeys at the race tracks. Coming from a country famous for saunas, Jarkko had the hottest of weeks, becoming the lone Finn to finish first in a big leage pro tourney.

Nieminem beat a strangely flat Mario Ancic, 6-2, 6-2, for the title amid the tumult of an enthusiastic crowd. New Zealand broadcasting icon Keith Quinn called it "the most high-spirited fans I've seen for tennis in this country." Good-natured Niemenen was impressed by "the great atmosphere" - even though all the noise and flag-waving was made on behalf of his opponent by Croatian ex-pats in characteristic red-and-white checkerboard jerseys.

Daily sell-outs of about 3500 for both the men's matinee and evening sessions made this the most successful tournament financially in the land of the kiwi. Even more satisfying was the semifnal - Nieminem over Olli Rochus - one of the finest matches I've witnessed. Crammed with bold and brilliant shotmaking, plus the suspense of unexpected twists and turns of fortune for 3 hours, it went to Nieminem, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4).

The Finnish Finisher almost didn't finish the Tom Thumb of Tennis, 5-foot-4 Rochus. Hounding his adversary's best shots incredibly, speed demon Rochus fought through 9 match points before succumbing to a service winner on the 10th.

Cornered 4 times within a point of defeat as the Finn served for victory at 5-4 in the third, and 5 times two games later, Olli somehow sprang loose and into the decisive tie-breaker.

As the world's best player inch-for-inch (64 of them) Olli had played what he considered "the match of my life" in bouncing 2d seeded David Ferrer from the quarters, 6-2, 6-0. But, considering Nieminem's formidable resistance, his losing effort was even more astounding.

Although Mario Ancic delivered oppressively aggressively to depose 2005 champ Fernando Gonzalez, 6-0, 6-3, he slumped badly in the final. Never mind. Mario can dine out forever on what he did for Croatia in December: winning the decisive fifth match over Michal Mertinak to seal the 3-2 defeat of Slovakia, he nailed the Davis Cup for his small, grateful homeland.

"It meant so much for the people." He beams. "They had big parades for us in Zagreb and (his hometown) Split. I will have that always."

Ever a gracious young man, Mario, 21, was sorry he couldn't show his best stuff for the two leading spectators: New Zealand's gritty prime minister Helen Clark, and the distinguished queen of the nation's Maoris, Dame Te Ati-i-rangy Kahy. But he gallantly saluted them in post-match remarks. Neither he nor I had ever met a queen or a prime minister before, but you never know what treats can befall you in captivating Auckland. No champagne was available, so we toasted the first ladies of the land in - what else? - sponsor Heineken's elixir.

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