As Kiwi hopefuls Dan King-Turner and Rubin Statham looked at each other across the room, they both knew their relationship had taken a turn for the bizarre.
Of immediate concern, the Davis Cup team-mates would now have to find different practice partners in their final build-ups to the Heineken Open.
By a strange quirk of fate, the two wildcards had drawn each other in the opening round of Panasonic Singles play, at least guaranteeing the host country would have someone to cheer for in the second round.
"It's pretty funny that we would draw each other," admitted King-Turner, who carries the higher world ranking at 250th.
Last year, in his fourth appearance at Auckland, he lost in straight sets to sixth-seeded American Sam Querry in the opening round.
"I never thought it would happen, but it's great we both have an opportunity to go through a round.
"It definitely feels different for me to play Rubin. Normally, I would probably go out there with nothing to lose, but now we both think we've got a chance to win.
"We both know each other games ... I don't think there are going to be any surprises out there."
King-Turner and Statham, ranked 331st, had practiced together for two days leading up to the draw on Saturday night. That arrangement came to an abrupt end with the news they would face each other.
The pair have met each other many times at various levels of the game, but neither could come up with any definitive ruling on who held the upper hand.
"We haven't played in about two years, but I think we're pretty even," guessed Statham, who lost to 47th-ranked American Robby Ginepri in the 2009 opening round.
"It's a surprise, but a great opportunity for either of us to go through. This is one of the toughest cutoffs in the world and you could normally expect to play someone in the top 50."
They were even licking their lips at the prospect of facing eighth seed Albert Montanes of Spain or a qualifier at the next stage.
The all-Kiwi shootout is scheduled to take place in the second march on centre court, Monday.
With so many players arriving into Auckland from around the globe, only two other first round singles matches will take place on Day One. Brazillian Thomaz Bellucci, (ranked 36th) meets Swiss Marco Chiudinelli (56th) in the afternoon, while Austrian Jurgen Melzer (28th) faces Italian Fabio Fognini (54th) in the evening.
In the opening round of Panasonic Doubles, singles seeds Nicholas Almagro and David Ferrer of Spain take on Swede Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Juliean Rojer of Netherlands Antilles.
The final match of the day will also see at least one Kiwi progress to the doubles second round with wildcards once again drawn to meet. Rubin Statham will team with brother Oliver to play compatriot Marcus Daniell and Romanian Horia Tecau.
