Big overseas tennis challenge

Press, 4 February 1982, Page 28

Big overseas tennis challenge

By

JOHN BROOKS

Officials at ihe Air New Zealand tennis tournament can while away their idle moments at Wilding Park next week by conducting a “spot the kiwi” competition. New Zealanders have been heavily outnumbered by overseas players on the satellite circuit, even if they have had the satisfaction of snatching the singles honours in the two tournaments so far. In the first round of the BP national championship ■ singles in Wellington last j week, only 15 home-grown t products found places in the

64-strong field. They were opposed by 23 Australians, 17 Americans, five Englishmen, three Canadians and one German. After the smoke had cleared away, however, only three of the travelling players reached the quarterfinals. They w’ere Warren Maher (Australia), Randy Evett (United States) and Nick Mohtadi (Canada), and they are expected to maintain their positions when the tournament circuit shifts to Christchurch. But they face a particularly •demanding task in trying to topple the leading ■U

New Zealanders, particularly Onny Parun, who has ambitions of winning back his singles place in the Davis Cup tie against Spain on the same courts in four weeks. Parun’s victory in the national singles final underlined the determination which is a vital part of his approach, and he will be hungry for as much grasscourt play as possible during his Christchurch sojourn. Parun, Bruce Derlin, David Mustard, Jeffrey Simpson and David Lewis were the other quarter-final-ists in the national singles, and all were consequently

named in the cup squad. Performances in Christchurch will help the New Zealand captain, Mr Jeff Robson, to sort out his combatants for the Spanish tie. Derlin, a triple title winner at the Canterbury open championships last month, has since been a beaten semi-finalist in the New Zealand and North Shore singles. This sturdy left-hander has a good record at Wilding Park. Mustard won the singles title at the first tournament on the circuit, at North Shore, and the players are

now battling for further prizes at Logan Park, Dunedin. After the Christchurch tournament, which will end on February 14, the highest points scorers will contest the Air New Zealand Masters title in the final tournament at Auckland. Last summer Parun won the circuit points prize and also the Masters mantle by beating Larry Stefanki (United States) in the final at Wilding Park. He had previously won three of the previous four circuit singles titles. Even at 35, he has the qualities necessary to triumph again. f