Simpson applies for wild card

Press, 17 December 1986, Page 76

Simpson applies for wild card

PA Auckland New Zealand Davis Cup player, Russell Simpson, has applied for a wild card for next month’s Benson and Hedges Open, adding to the already complicated puzzle of who will be given a free ride into . New Zealand’s premier tennis tournament. The tournament director, Peter Gardner, has three wild cards to hand out for the 32-man draw and such is the strength of the field for the B and H, Mr Gardner has a virtual nightmare on his hands trying to sort out the applications. “It gets more complicated by the day,” was his reaction to a letter from Simpson applying for ' a wild card. The 32-year-old Aucklander has won the B and H doubles title three times (partnering his fellow Kiwi, Chris Lewis) and has reached the singles final twice, losing to an American, Tim Wilkison, in 4982 and being beaten by *John Alexander of Australia, the next year. Simpson’s is one of four wild card applications Mr Gardner has received, the others coming from a former world No. 25, Hank Pfister (U.S.), the 1984 B and H singles champion, Danny Saltz (U.S.), and an American, Brett Dickinson, who upset Kelly Evernden in the second round of this year’s event. .

Mr Gardner has already declined Dickinson’s application but is still considering the others.