Star line-up promises spike in interest this weekend
Each year the organisers of the New Zealand Beach Volleyball Open lay claim to having assembled the best and most competitive field. They may have to roll out a new line in 2011 though, as they have outdone themselves this year.
With two teams ranked inside the top five and a silver medallist from the Beijing Olympics, with New Zealand's own star pairing of Susan Blundell and Anna Scarlett, this calibre of women's field has never been seen here.
It seems organisers can thank Craig Seuseu - former Kiwi No1 and a legend in the sport in New Zealand.
Seuseu coaches Germany's Sara Goller and Laura Ludwig, who are ranked No4 in the world, and managed to lure the pair Downunder for a pre-season training camp. In turn, the German stars convinced their good friends from the United States, and world No5s, Angie Akers and Tyra Turner, to travel to New Zealand and train with them.
After this weekend's Open the two teams, with Blundell and Scarlett, will spend a week training in Auckland before travelling to Sydney for a 10-day training block. Seuseu said it was a major coup for the NZ Open to have two top-five teams headlining the tournament.
