Kiwis bow out of Aussie Open lead up tournaments

It’s been a disappointing day for the two New Zealanders at their respective WTA and ATP tournaments in Adelaide and Sydney.

 Erin Routliffe and her Polish partner Alicja Rosolska have been beaten by Japanese third seeds Makoto Ninomiya and Eri Hozumi in a tight match at the WTA tournament in Adelaide. The Japanese pair have won 6-3 6-7 (6) 10-8 in 1 hour 46 minutes. Routliffe will now head to Melbourne for the Australian Open where she will reunite with young Canadian Leylah Fernandez.

Michael Venus playing with his regular German partner Tim Puetz, have lost in a match tie break in the second round of the ATP tournament in Sydney to Frenchman Fabrice Martin and Britain’s Jonny O’Mara.

Venus and Puetz who won the Paris Masters in their last tournament together in November, have been beaten 6-4, 1-6, 10-6, in an hour and 13 minutes. They now head to the Australian Open where they are likely to be the 6^th seeds in the men’s doubles.

Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak will be the other New Zealand men’s representatives in Melbourne with Sitak teaming up with Russian Aslan Karatsev and Daniell paired with Denmark’s Freddie Nielsen.