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[Season5] (Day 0) PSALT's Preview: New Zealand International
The tour reconvenes after the off-season, new rules as have introduced to the game that provide much excitement on tour. Doubles is only one of these new additions. Nevertheless, I will not get into all of that. Instead it’s time to go on with the draw. The first event of the year is the Tier II, New Zealand International. It is one of the two major Aussie warmups, although despite being a higher Tier, it normally doesn’t get higher-class players than the Sydney event next week. Newly crowned No.1, NEA, is the top seed. Jennacourt is the 2nd seed, Doublea 3rd, than the defending finalist J-man is 4th. Last years champion Phobe, who is on a painful downward spiral, is seeded a meager 8th.
NEA is surely the favorite here, then again however, he rarely hits his stride until closer to the Williams-Series. Doublea could do well here; he has experienced success on the Aussie rebound-ace before. Jennacourt of course has no chance. The only way she would win would be if the entire left part of the draw dropped dead beforehand, and even then she would need a miracle to get past Doublea. Now is the time to write the tedious ‘J-man can win it of course’ sentence. The American did seem to find some consistency near the end of last season. He did show a weakness in the YEC though. His loss to NEA seems to disprove the idea of On=Win, Off=Loss. The Brit beat J-man when J-man was playing quite well. I could however see 3-4 people coming out of the left side. Doublea on the other hand, is insured a spot in the final thanks to a cakewalk draw.
Match To Watch
Stevos-Leftys: 3-6
Leftys comes into this match with no pressure on her. She has nothing to defend until the carpet season and she knows it. She knows it’s all uphill from here. Stevos is in much the same boat. Leftys does lead the H2H though, a solid 6-3. Stevos has the more solid game however. He is known for simply not being able to beat people though (a la 1-8 vs. NEA). He has to have a good event sometime…… right?
NEA graciously took time out from his dead (like always) photograph session to give me an interview.
Q. At the end of last year you expressed contempt of your newly acquired No.1 ranking. Having had an off-season to dwell on it, do you still think you are 'unworthy' of the top spot?
NEA. Extremely so. It is actually embarrassing.
Q. During the off-season you failed to take the Member of the Year title. Instead it went to PSALT, keeping him unbeaten in the category. Thoughts on that?
Obviously it is biased voting but that is expected, for sure. PSALT will tell you himself he was not member of the year last year; I was. But that is fine; I have a more irascible personality, big deal. And he is not even unbeaten in that category anyway? You ought to research better my friend. Anyway...yes, I lost that vote to obvious biased voting but that is fair enough...it is clear to see I have been the member breaking the landmarks; I have been the one making way for the other members to compete against the computer players. I am world number one, never mind member number one. The others are mostly pretenders...let's be honest here.
Research better……. hmmmmm……
Q. You have three of your fellow youngsters in your half. To make a final here in New Zealand you will need to go through either J-man, Stevos, or Leftys. Who would you prefer to play?
NEA. Leftys; I own her right now. Stevos; I have always owned him. J-man; he can lose the match while I prance about getting balls back. Any would be fine.
Q. Any people picked out for the new doubles tour? Vanessa?
NEA. Vanessa for sure. I haven't officially asked her yet, but I am sure she will agree. Just imagine that; world number 1/3 or even 1/2 in a doubles team, we would be close to unstoppable.
We will ignore the fact that he has horrid volleys. You actually feel sorry for him when you see him at net.
