N.Z. tennis ‘part of circuit’

Press, 7 October 1987, Page 32

N.Z. tennis ‘part of circuit’

International women tennis players now consider New Zealand an established part of the professional circuit, says Brenda Perry, tennis coordinator for Global Sports and Promotions.

Perry attended the United States Open this year and found that players had heard that the Nutri-Metics Open in New Zealand “was a really good tournament” Players were also tempted to the Southern Hemisphere by the increasing number of tournaments offered by Australia and New Zealand. This helped make trips financially

feasible. Next year New Zealand will hold two women’s tournaments: the $BO,OOO Nutri-Met-ics Open and the $BO,OOO Wellington Open. Australia will stage three tournaments.

Melbourne will have its new hard-court facility ready next year. In combination with the two New Zealand hard-court tournaments that city’s event will give players who do not want to play on grass the opportunity to play a circuit

Perry still maintains a world ranking and associate

membership of the Women’s International Tennis Association. She attends meetings to keep in touch with player preferences and ensure that the New Zealand tournaments have formats which will appeal to top players. Competitors who have shown Interest in upcoming New Zealand tournaments so far include: Ann Hobbs (Great Britain), 1985 Nutri — Metics singles winner, Candy Reynolds (United States), 1985 Nutri-Metics doubles winner; Anna-Maria Fernandez (United States), 1987 Nu-tri-Metics doubles winner

who wiU be accompained by her sister,' the coach of the United States junior Federation Cup team): Gretchen Rush (United States), 1987 Nutri-Metics singles winner, Annabel Croft (Great Britain), formerly ranked in the world’s top 20 players and the British No. 1; Betsy Nagelsen (United States), American Wightman and Federation Cup representative; and Marcella Mesker (The Netherlands), formerly ranked in the world top 50 and a Women’s International Tennis Association board member.