Tennis: Rios' bid for top starts in all-star Open lineup

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Marcelo Rios will kick-start his bid to regain the top spot in world tennis as seventh seed in next month's Auckland open.

In a star-studded field for the Heineken Open, the Chilean, who was No 1 on the ATP rankings for six weeks in 1998, will chase his second Stanley St title, hoping victory will lead, as it did three years ago, to the top of the tree.

"Certainly he has the talent to go back to No 1," said tournament boss Graham Pearce. "As long he has an injury-free run, I have no doubt he can get back.

"He has already rung to confirm his hotel booking and is looking forward to coming back to Auckland."

Pearce is hopeful that Rios and other top players will also play doubles. Spain's Fernando Vicente has already said he is keen to play doubles here.

The seedings will be announced on Saturday week, but it seems certain the eight seeded players will all come from within the world's top 40.

"This is the first time we have had a field of this standard," Pearce said. "The [probable] eighth seed - the Swede Thomas Johansson - has an end-of-year ranking of 39. The seedings will come from those rankings."

Argentine Franco Squillari is expected to be the top seed, followed by Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia), another Argentine, Mariano Puerta, American Jan-Michael Gambill, yet another Argentine, Gaston Gaudio, Byron Black (Zimbabwe) and Rios.

While Pearce welcomes the strengthening New Zealand dollar, he said the "sums had been done" when it was much lower.

"The recent changes have had little impact, but we have to hope it will continue to get stronger leading up to the 2002 Heineken."

The singles winner of the January 8-13 tournament will collect $US49,500 ($111,864) from the $US350,000 prizemoney pool.

The winning doubles combination will split $US24,600.

A further $US25,000 will go into the ATP bonus pool and administration fund.

Pearce will announce the New Zealand wildcard next week. Mark Nielsen is almost certain to win a place in the main draw.

"If he is fit and well, I can see no reason he won't get the wildcard," Pearce said.

Wildcard's are likely into the tournament for four more New Zealanders.