By TERRY MADDAFORD
If Simon Rea was nervous as he contemplated the biggest match of his life, he was not showing it.
In what will be one of the features on the first day of the Heineken Open today, Rea, one of two New Zealanders handed wildcards into the main singles draw,
will play 2001 open winner Dominik Hrbaty.
The Slovakian, ranked one place out of the world's top 50 and just missing out as one of the eight seeds in the 32-strong draw, has been as high as No 17.
He reached three quarter-finals last year but did not get close to adding to his three ATP titles as he took his career earnings to US$3.68 million ($6.96 million).
That is a lot more money than Rea, who has yet to bank his first dollar, dares think about.
At 51, Hrbaty is ranked more than 900 places higher than Rea. Again, the young Aucklander shrugs at that.
"There are no easy draws here," said Rea, who will play the evening singles match on stadium court at the ASB Bank Tennis Centre - the court on which he and Mark Nielsen rounded off their open preparations yesterday.
"But to play a player like Hrbaty is a fantastic opportunity."
While Rea is resigned to returning to his tennis-playing career and journalism studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville this year, he admits that victory tonight could bring a re-evaluation of his career. ATP points are that important in making such decisions.
Asked what part of his game needs to be further developed as he tries to take it to the next level, Rea thought long and hard.
"My serve, perhaps. First and second."
His mental game?
"Not so much," he said. "That has always been my strength."
How about playing on stadium court in front of what will almost certainly be a packed house?
"No worry," he said, without any suggestion of being smug.
Beaten 7-6, 7-6 in the first round of qualifying last year, Rea booked a place in this year's draw with his 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Alistair Hunt in the final of last month's New Zealand Residential Championships.
"I'll try as hard as I can," said Rea.
"Physically I feel fine.
"Luckily, I have been relatively injury-free despite playing something like 150 matches last year."
A couple of other New Zealanders could have done with some of Rea's grit and determination in their first-round qualifying matches.
Jacon Olsen held set point against German Simon Greul but blew that, lost the set 7-5 and the second 6-3.
Dan King-Turner also had set point and then another great chance when he had Brazil's Francisco Costa at 0-40 as he chased 6-6 and a first-set tiebreaker.
He lost five points in a row, the set 7-5 and eventually the match in two.
Wellington's Rob Cheyne, too, bowed out in the first round in straight sets, while young Aucklander GD Jones had a bye into the second round but then could win only one game in going out 6-1, 6-0 to Swede Robin Soderling.
The Swede, the seventh-ranked player from his country, will play American Michael Russell in what promises to be one of the better of the four third-round qualifying matches this morning.
The four winners will go into the main draw, where one will have a first-round clash with top seed Jiri Novak tomorrow.
By TERRY MADDAFORD
If Simon Rea was nervous as he contemplated the biggest match of his life, he was not showing it.
In what will be one of the features on the first day of the Heineken Open today, Rea, one of two New Zealanders handed wildcards into the main singles draw,
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