Ricfcardson favoured, to win first round game

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 28

Ricfcardson favoured, to win first round game

PA Auckland The leading New Zealand player, Julie Richardson, has a favourable first round draw in the $lOO,OOO Nutri-Metics international women’s tennis tournament starting here today. However, should she beat her first round opponent Carin Bakkum (Netherlands) .she will play against the top seed, Patty Fendick (United States). Last year Richardson met and lost to her close friend, Anna Maria Fernandez, in the opening round. A Federation Cup piayer, Richardson is rated 168 on the Women’s International Tennis Association world rankings while Bakkum, who plays mainly on the satellite circuits, is ranked 199. The two will meet in the centre court after another New Zealander, Ruth Seeman, a wild card entry, plays Cammy MacGregor (United States).

MacGregor is ranked 131 compared with Seeman’s 278. The 19-year-old Californian was ranked 78 in 1986.

Seeman, who is in her second year of the professional circuit, will have a handful in the all-court player whose strength is in her backhand and overheads. Equally at home on hard or grass courts, MacGregor has teamed with older sister, Cynthia, for several notable doubles title triumphs. The seeded players for the tournament proper are: Patty Fendick (U.S.), Anne Minter (Aust.), Terry Phelp (U.S.), Gretchen Magers (U.S.), Beverley Bowes (U.S.), Elizabeth Minter (Aust.), Sara Gomer (Britain), Ann De Vries (Belgium), Belinda Cardwell (N.Z.), Pam Casale (U.S.), Susan Mascarin (U.S.), Sandra Wasserman (Belgium), Angeliki Kanellopoulou (Greece), Louise Field (Aust.). Today’s draw:

Court 1: Cammy MacGre-

gor (U.S.) v Ruth Seeman (N.Z.) followed by Julie Richardson (N.Z.) v Carin Bakkum (Netherlands), Anna Maria Fernandez (U.S.) v Sandra Wasserman (Belgium), Angeliki Kanellopoulou (Greece) v Candy Reynolds (U.S.). Court 4: Pilar Vasquez (Peru) v Jenny Byrne (Aust.) followed by Pam Casale (U.S.) v qualifier, Jill Hetherington (Canada) v Paula Smith (U.S.), Annabel Croft (Britain) v Lisa O’Neill (Aust.). Court 6: Kim Steinmetz (U.S.) v Helena Dahlstrom (Sweden) followed by Carol Christian (U.S.) v Maider Laval (France), Lea Antonopolis (U.S.) v Katrina Adams (U.S.), Cynthia MacGregor (U.S.) v Cybille Niox-Chateau (France). Court 8: Jaimie Goldei (U.S.) v Valda Lake (Britain) followed by Yukie Koizumi (Japan), Dee Ann Hansel (U.S.), Amy Schwartz (U.S.) v qualifier, Akeimi Nishya (Japan) v qualifier.