Tough Draw for the Seeds
The main draw of the Heineken Open is set to be one of the best yet and
could be the toughest yet for the seeded players.
The big match of the first round has matched defending champ and former
world number one Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil against former world number
two Alex Corretja.
Top seed and world number five Guillermo Coria from Argentina has the
tough task of playing former world number four Nicolas Kiefer of Germany
who at his peak in 2000 reached the quarters at both the Australian and
US Open.
Second seed and 13th ranked Jiri Novak won the Heineken Open in 1996
beating Brett Steven and has a grand record in Auckland. 2004 will be
his six appearance at the tournament but he is up against the 55th
ranked Xavier Malisse of Belgium who is a former semifinalist at
Wimbledon.
Sjeng Schalken, the current world number 18 and 1999 Heineken Open champ
plays the talented 17 year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal who is already in
the top 50 rankings and is rated as the one of the biggest rising stars
in the game.
American veteran Todd Martin faces fifth seed and fellow American Vince
Spadea.
Kiwi wildcards Simon Rea and Mark Nielsen have been given mixed draws.
Nielsen who only made the main draw as a wild card as a result of Todd
Martin gaining a direct acceptance faces 2003 finalist and 2001 winner
Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia.
Simon Rea will be in trying for a win in his second chance in the main
draw. He will not take the court until Tuesday as he faces a qualifier.
ASB Classic winner Eleni Daniilidou had a hand in the success of New
Zealander Adam Thompson in the first round of the qualifying at the
Heineken Open.
Thompson, 21 had been Daniilidou's hitting partner for the past week and
gave the Greek player a big high-five after winning his match over world
number 82 Antony Dupuis of France.
Thompson ranked at 871 held his serve and his nerve in his first event
of this magnitude to win the first set in a tiebreak seven points to
four. His opponent withdrew at the beginning of the second set with back
problems giving a stunned Thompson a place in the second round.
"Eleni (Daniilidou) should take credit for my win," said Thompson "I was
so nervous at the beginning of the match and just tried to keep the ball
in."
Thompson will play talented Luxembourg teenager Gilles Muller ranked 195
who defeated another Kiwi wildcard GD Jones 6-3 7-5.
The other New Zealander in the qualifying Dan King Turner had his
opportunities to beat South African Wesley Moodie after winning the
first set 6-4. However Moodie showed that at 82nd in the world
experience counts for a lot against the an unranked Kiwi.
Moodie won the second set 6-3 before they found themselves in a tiebreak
in the third. Unfortunately King Turner didn't have the luck of his
opponent who had a lucky dropshot a big ace and a missed passing shot
from King Turner. Moodie eventually won the tiebreak seven points to
four.
Romanian Andrei Pavel ranked 69th in the world easily won through to the
second round with a win over Frank Dancevic of Canada 6-2 6-3.
