Fourth Top 20 Player Confirmed
November 17, 2004
The field for the 2005 Heineken Open featuring the Vodafone singles and doubles continues to get better and better with the confirmation of world No19 Vince Spadea.
Spadea becomes a record fourth top 20 player to be announced for the January 10-15 event.
The 30-year old from Florida has been a regular visitor to Auckland since his first appearance in 1995 where he reached the semifinalist.
This year he was a quarter finalist at the Heineken Open losing to Gustavo Kuerten in the last eight.
He won his first ATP career singles title in Scottsdale in March of this year by beating a series of top players – Thomas Johansson, Wayne Arthurs, James Blake, Andy Roddick and Nicolas Kiefer.
Two weeks later he was beaten in the semis of the Masters Series at Miami by Roddick.
Other top results included a fourth round appearance at Wimbledon plus the semis at Lyon quarters at both the Masters Series in Rome and Newport.
At Delray Beach he reached his fourth career final before losing to Riacardo Mello in the title match.
Previously Spadea had made finals at St Polten in 1998 and Indianapolis the following year. He also was a quarter finalist at the 1999 Australian Open.
He is the third ranked American player at present behind Roddick(No2) and Andre Agassi(No8).
Spadea is added to the list of quality players already confirmed to come to the 2005 Heineken Open – Guillermo Coria No6, Tommy Robredo (No13), Dominik Hrbaty(No14), Fernando Gonzalez(No22) and Rafael Nadal(No51).
Coria is currently playing in the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston where Heineken Open tournament director Graham Pearce is attending ATP board meetings.
The tournament will be the 50 th anniversary of the professional tennis event in Auckland which is now known as the Heineken Open.
The Heineken Open featuring the Vodafone singles and doubles will be held January 10-15 at the ASB BANK Tennis Centre, Tennis Lane, Parnell, qualifying January 8-9.
ickets go on sale for the Heineken Open, Monday, November 22.
For more details please contact:
Graham Pearce – Heineken Open tournament director – 021 675 005
Or
Dave Worsley – Heineken Open media manager – 021 679 096
www.heinekenopen.co.nz
