Late Entries Add To International Mix For ASB Pro Circuit
Monday 9 March 2009, 8:47PM
By Dave Worsley
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A couple of late entries into the men’s draw of the US$15,000 ASB Pro Circuit Futures tournaments starting today (Tuesday) at the Albany Tennis Park, North Harbour has added some spice to the tournament including the changing of seedings with Australian Rameez Juniad winning through qualifying to make the main draw and then take the third seed position with a ranking of 407.
When Juniad plays on Wednesday for his first round match Juniad who has a current ATP doubles ranking 108 in the world will face highly rated Kiwi Logan MacKenzie who originates from Canterbury but is based in Australia.
Of the other New Zealand men in the main draw who play on day one Oliver Statham will play the top seed, Miles Armstrong from Australia who is ranked 346 over 500 places higher than the Kiwi.
Locals who will take to the court on the second day with Kiwi No2 Dan King-Turner to face fellow Davis Cup team member Adam Thompson while Rubin Statham seeded fifth plays Wairarapa professional Marcus Daniell.
The other Kiwis in the main draw include Davis Cup player, GD Jones taking on fourth seed Artem Sitak of Russia, North Harbour’s Matt Simpson plays Australian James Lemke while Wellington’s Finn Tearney who won his first ranking points in the tournaments last year plays another Aussie, Matt Reid.
In the women’s draw which is worth US$10,000 the only New Zealand player on court in singles action today will be the powerful Kairangi Vano from Auckland taking on fifth seed Kyung-Yee Chae ranked at 361. Vano has a ranking of 789.
The in-form Di Hollands will face Australian Anna Wishink who is ranked inside the top-500 on Wednesday. There will also be one all-Kiwi clash when Australian based Chelsea Te-Tai, 15 faces Shona Lee from Auckland.
In final round qualifying the two Kiwis in action had their opportunities with Canterbury’s Leela Beattie, 15 having numerous set points in the first set against Australian Daniela Scivetti but eventually losing 7-6(4) 6-4.
North Harbour 16-year-old Anton Bettink put in a good show against Australian Joel Lindner but was defeated 6-2 7-6(5)
Play starts at 10am with singles followed by a full round of men’s and women’s doubles including the appearance of Australian Davis Cup hero, Carsten Ball who will play just the doubles at North Harbour. Ball has a current singles ranking of 194 in the world and 113 in doubles. He will team up with Rubin Statham in what is one of the strongest Futures doubles draw in New Zealand for a long time.
ASB Pro Circuit US$15,000 men’s singles final round qualifying, Albany Tennis Park, North Harbour.
(1)Rameez Juniad(Australia) bt (10)Mark McCook(Australia) 6-4 6-2, K Balakrishnan(Australia) bt (2)Tobias Klein(Germany) 6-3 6-1, (3)Xin-Yuan Yu(China) bt David Bidmeade(Australia) 5-7 7-5 6-2, (4)Steven Goh(Australia) bt (11) Andrew Thomas(Australia) 6-4 6-4, (5)Rylan Rizza(United States) bt (5)Joshua Crowe(Australia) 6-2 6-2, (6)Joel Lindner(Australia) bt Anton Bettink(New Zealand) 6-2 7-6(4), (12)Michael Leong(Solomon Island) bt (7)Dane Propoggia(Australia) 6-3 6-1, (8)Dayne Kelly(Australia) bt (14) Stefan Hardy(United States) 1-6 7-6(8) 6-2.
ASB Pro Circuit US$10,000 women’s singles final round qualifying:
Sakiko Shimizu(Japan) bt (1)Ai Yamamoto(Japan) 6-3 4-6 6-3, (2)Kim Hae-Sung(Korea) bt Jie Hao(China) 7-5 6-3, (3)Zi-jun Yang(Hong Kong) bt Sabrina Capannolo(United States) 6-1 6-4, Daniela Scivetti(Australia) bt Leela Beattie(New Zealand) 7-6(4) 6-4, (5)Aki Yamasoto(Japan) bt Christian Thompson(USA) 6-3 6-2, Kim So-Jung(Korea) bt (6)Martina Caciotti(Italy) 6-0 6-1 (7)Jessy Rompies(Indonesia) bt Julia Moriarty(Australia) 6-0 7-5, (8)Lizaan Du Plessis(South Africa) bt Nungnadda Wannasuk(Thailand) 6-3 3-6 7-5.