Mecir too classy for Dutchman

Press, 12 January 1987, Page 36

Mecir too classy for Dutchman

PA Auckland The top seed, Miloslav Mecir, of Czechoslovakia, justified putting his world No. 9 ranking at stake in playing the Benson and Hedges tennis open in Auckland by winning the singles title, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. The Czech, aged 22, who plays a game mature beyond his years, began his visit to Auckland with defeat, but even then there was never any doubt about his class. His loss to New Zealand’s Kelly Evernden in the National Mutual test against. Czechoslovakia was after a long flight from Europe. But it has been a different story throughout

the Leopard Deluxe men’s singles. Yesterday, Mecir continued his superiority over the Dutchman, Michiel Schapers, who has met the Czech five times before and been beaten every time. Passing the agile Mecir was near impossible, illustrated by the Czech leaping for an overhead backhand that dispatched a Schapers lob. Other times, the Czech would shape to play across court only to fire it down the line for another winner. Still, Mecir was not completely happy with his game yesterday. “I was a little nervous to start with and my volleys were horrible,” said Mecir. "Usually I

play like that when I have not played for a while but that was not the case against Schapers. “I had already had several games in the tournament but I felt weak in the hand and could not hold the ball on the racket for as long as I would have wished.” Mecir’s disadvantage made him drop service in the second game of the first set — a most unusual distinction for the Dutchman, who broke again in the fourth game of the last set But in spite of his misgivings and allowing Schapers to be the only player to break him twice in a singles match this tournament, Mecir did not really look like

losing. He had put his ranking at stake by playing in a regular series event in which a loss would have affected his ranking adversely; “I came to prepare for the Australian Open grand slam event and perhaps it was a risk but I wanted to have some play on grass before the open which is played on grass,” Mecir said. Schapers failed to take his chances early in the match when he was a break up. By the third game, Mecir had broken back and went on to take the set, 6-2. From that point, Schapers, who had fought hard to retain his serve in the opening 12-minute game of the match after

six deuces and saving two break points, could not threaten the Czech* Even when he fought back in the third of the best-of-five-sets match from 14 down to 4-4, Schapers appeared to be maintaining a rearguard action to delay rather than stave off the inevitable defeat. The final of the Leopard Delux men’s doubles was won by the American pair of Brad Pearce (formerly University of California at Los Angeles) and Kelly Jones (Pepperdine University), the top seeds. They beat the Australian unseeded pair of Carl Limberger and Mark Woodforde. 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-3).