Late entries for open

Press, 27 December 1979, Page 26

Late entries for open

PA Auckland Dale Collings, of Queensland, almost an institution in New Zealand tennis circles is a late addition to the entries in the $50,000 international tennis open at Auckland next week. Ranked 114 on the Association of Tennis Profressionials computer rankings, Coining’s entry has just been I advised. ! While Eliot Telscher and Hank Pfister, two highly ranked players sought for the tournament have both given a negative reply, there are now hopes that the Indian Davis Cup player, Sashi Menon (ranked 180), Charlie Fancutt (Australia, 216) and

Steve Docherty (Australia, 140) will all play. The late entries are something of a mixed blessing. They will certainly enhance the field in that the rankings of the players will be im-

proved over all. However, it means that some of the lower ranked players — Peter Langsford and Joe Harvey, of New Zealand, among them — would be required to qualify for the Air New Zealand men’s singles instead of gaining direct entry. Menon, Fancutt and Docherty are in that category. Some relief may be gained from the defection from the earlier notified field of Ross Case (Australia) and Mel Purcell (United States). In the singles field, 23 of the top-ranked players gain automatic entry into the tournament proper, four places are reserved for the

semi-finalists Of the qualifying rounds, three places are given to “wild cards” and two to “special exempts”.

The additions and withdrawals could well place

players like Syd Ball (Australia) and David Mustard (New Zealand), both on rankings of 318. in the position of being classed as the special exempts. Below them, any player not given a wild card would have to qualify. Doubles, which in the past opens have not attracted a great deal of attention, could provide one of the highlights of next week’s tournament. Strong combinations are expected. The likely top seeds in the. singles, John Sadri and Tim Wilkinson (United States) will play together and should be given top seedings in the doubles as well.

Other pairings are Jeffrey and Russel Simpson (New Zealand), Kim Warwick and Syd Ball (Australia) and another Australian combination of Collings and Dick Crealey.