Tennis: Belgium v France in Classic final

By Foster Niumata

Because they can say "oui" to each other, friends Dominique van Roost and Julie Halard-Decugis agreed to meet at Stanley St yesterday morning for a hit-up long enough to give them a sweat.

Points were not counted, pride was not hurt. That will not be the case today when the final of the ASB Bank Classic is played out by these two adopted daughters of Auckland tennis, who have shunned hotels for homestays.

Having warmed each other's game, van Roost and Halard-Decugis proceeded yesterday to overcome lagging starts and crush Barbara Schett and Silvia Farina respectively, not just inside the white lines, but inside their heads, too.

In the first semifinals since 1979 featuring the top four seeds, No 1 van Roost, broken three times in losing the first set to No 4 Schett, tolerated no more cheek from the Austrian she had never lost to and won 3-6 6-1 6-0.

"I am somebody who fights to the end. You have to beat me, I am not going to give up the match," said van Roost, who will defend her title against Halard-Decugis, against whom she is 1-0 up on the WTA tour, and 1-1 in life.

Halard-Decugis, a loser to van Roost at the United States Open, beat her in three sets in the final of a French money tournament in Le Tourquet last month to put her on a 12-match winning streak from her title victory in Pattaya, Thailand in November.

Against No 3 seed Halard-Decugis, No 2 Farina looked as if she was going to have a chance to make amends with van Roost, who she has still not met since dropping two match-points against the Belgian hard nut in last year's exceptional final.

Farina, who pushed on from that to become the first Italian woman since 1991 to rank in the top 20, rushed to 4-1 and 15-40 before 22nd-ranked Halard-Decugis relaxed, went for her shots more, and saw a few more misses from Farina.

The Frenchwoman, who a year ago was not ranked because of 18 months out with injury and who lost to Farina in the 1998 quarters, rallied again in a tiebreak to reach set-point first.

She and Farina fired arrows that forced them far off the sides, until Halard-Decugis managed only to tap a return and Farina charged in for a crosscourt "winner" - which landed between the tramlines.

Farina's spirit wilted as Halard-Decugis flicked boggling winners almost off the laps of courtside fans to win 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.

"She played like she was No 5 in the world in the beginning," said Halard-Decugis, "but I was ready to go three sets with her. It was a good fight. I got revenge."

Farina and Schett consoled themselves later by reaching the final of the doubles, which Halard-Decugis won in 1996 and van Roost in `97.

This is the 13th final in 12th-ranked van Roost's career, though she has won only four. Auckland was the only title she won in five finals last year. In Hobart, where she was also the defending champion, she lost in the final.

"It's not easy to defend your title and get back in the final. I'm quite happy," said van Roost.

Auckland is no different: the titleholder or top seed has not won here since Patty Fendick in 1989.

Halard-Decugis has a superior conversion rate, having won eight titles in 13 finals, including her two last year. She said: "We had a good warm-up today, but we won't warm-up tomorrow.

Pictured: Dominique van Roost - after a hiccup in the first set, van Roost crushed Barbara Schett to reach today's final, where she will play Julie Halard-Decugis. HERALD PICTURE / MARTIN SYKES