Michael Venus of New Zealand prepares for his first round match @gettyimages

Thou it was proved to be a stretch for him @gettyimages

As the sixth seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain wraps it in three sets @gettyimages

Other kiwi Finn Tearney fought hard but also out in first round @gettyimages

Good effort

January 09, 2017

Kiwi wildcard Michael Venus was left to rue a couple of crucial missed opportunities after pushing sixth seed Feliciano Lopez to the brink in the first round of the ASB Classic. With the Spaniard's experience shone through in the end, scraping home 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.