Doubles players certain of win

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 48

Doubles players certain of win

NZPA-Reuter London

Johan Krlek and Kelly Evernden, short of practice but long in selfbelief, believe they can become the first substitutes to win the Masters doubles tennis championship at the Royal Albert Hall this week.

Krlek, South Africanborn but now an American citizen, and New Zealander Evernden beat Mexican Jorge Lozano and American Todd Witsken, 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, in their opening group match and then explained how they could make tournament history.

They only came into this event last Friday after Kevin Curren and David Pate had dropped out through injury. “I got a phone call to say we were in and luckily Johan is staying with me in Naples, Florida, because he is having a new house built just up the road,” Evernden said.

“We hadn’t hit a ball for 12 days but who cares. This was our chance.”

Both believe they can take the £40,000 (SNZU3,9OO) first prize. “We both hit the ball very hard, we are both very quick and we combine well,” Krlek said. “It’s true that on a bad day we can lose to almost anyone but on a good day we can beat the best in the world.”

Evernden is equally confident. “We were as good as anyone early in the year. But then I got a bad knee injury and was virtually playing on one leg for three months. “Now I’m fully fit again there is no reason why we cannot win the tournament.”

Results (number denotes seeding):— Blue group: Piet Aldrich and Danie Visser (South Africa) beat Marty Davis (U.S.) and Brad Drewett (Australia), 6-3, 7-6, 6-4. Red group: Kelly Evernden (New Zealand) and Johan Kriek (U.S.) beat Jorge Lozano (Mexico) and Todd Witsken (U.S.), 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 4-Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez (Spain) beat 1-Ken Flach and Robert Seguso (U.S.), 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10).