Second and third seeds eliminated

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 28

Second and third seeds eliminated

PA Auckland Ben Testerman and Kelly Evernden, the second and third seeds in the men’s singles respectively, were eliminated in the ?200,000 Benson and Hedges grand prix tennis tournament at Stanley Street yesterday. Testerman (United States) lost to the Australian Davis Cup team member, Brad Drewett, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, while in a rain-interrupted match, an unseeded American, Brett Dickinson, beat Evernden, New Zealand’s chief hope, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5. Dickinson, a 23-year-old former San Jose State University student, said later he looked on the win and entry to the quarter-finals as of more significance than just the winning of at least $l2OO in prize-money.

“The win means I will move from 220 in the rankings to the 100 s and that carries with it an automatic contract with Adidas and Association of Tennis Professionals Health Insurance which is much more valuable than the prize-money,” he said.

The American, who in his third full year on the professional circuit makes ends meet by stringing rackets for fellow players, played superbly. A big hitter and server, he kept Evernden under pressure.

Evernden made too many unforced errors and served too few successful first serves to be able to dictate terms. He served four aces and Dickinson two. “I began the match not feeling very well after something I ate at breakfast at the hotel,” said Evernden. “I had been vomiting and tried to hang in there, but Brett was playing too well. “When the break for rain came I spent all the time in the toilets, so I guess Dickinson figured out that I was sick. He was able to thump the ball and play the returns early which is usually what I do.” Testerman, who on Wednesday had played a match lasting 4 hours and 10 minutes against an Australian, Neil Berwick, declined to blame tiredness for his defeat by Drewett. . “I. had my chances to break in the final set, but instead it was Brad who took the opportunities and he won,” he said. Drewett stayed cool under pressure, taking the first set after breaking the American’s service in the second, eighth and tenth games. Testerman had one break in the seventh game. In the second set, with the score 5-4 on Testerman’s service, a protest first by

the American and then Drewett held up play. Games went with service in the third set. Testerman leading 40-15 in the seventh game, had the chance to break but Drewett held. In the tenth game’ Testerman dropped service to lose the match.

David Lewis, who is the only New Zealander remaining in the singles, meets Mark Woodforde (Australia) in the quarterfinals today. Apart from Evernden, two other New Zealanders, David Mustard and Bruce Derlin, were beaten yesterday- ...

Mustard lost 1-6, 2-6, to Wally Masur (Australia), while Derlin went down 2-6, 6-3, 3-6 to the 1982 winner, Bill Scanlon, of the United States. .

Mustard held service only in the sixth game in the first set and in the third and fifth games in the second. Derlin raised hopes of a revival when he took the second set against Scanlon .6-3, but those hopes died in the third set. Results.—

Converse men’s singles, second round: Wally Masur (Aust.) bt David Mustard (N.Z.), 6-1, 6-2; Brad Drewett (Aust.) bt Ben Testerman (U.S.), 6-4, 46, 6-4; Brett Dickinson (US) bt Kelly Evernden (N.Z.), .7-6, (75), 7-5.