Tennis: Shootout at 20 paces for wildcard tennis spot

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Wyatt Earp won't be around but Auckland's version of the gunfight at the OK Corral tomorrow will certainly take more time than the infamous 60-second shootout and with tennis rackets instead of guns.

In an innovative move to resolve the impasse surrounding the wildcard to be handed to a New Zealand player for next week's ASB Bank women's classic, tournament director Richard Palmer has summoned Kiwi No 1 Shelley Stephens and in-form Leanne Baker to square off in a best-of-three-sets battle at Stanley St tomorrow morning.

"The winner will get the choice of taking the wildcard into the main singles draw or opting to join world junior No 1 Maria Emilia Salerni as wildcard into the doubles," said Palmer. "I agonised over this for a long time with both players having genuine claims.

"In the end I thought this was the best way to solve the problem. The loser of the shootout will get the other wildcard either into singles or doubles."

Palmer has handed three other wildcards in the 32-strong qualifying draw to New Zealanders Tracey O'Connor, Ilke Gers and Niki Tippins, who will be joined by either Stephens or Baker in the chase for four qualifying spots in the main draw for the tournament, which starts on Monday.

"Baker and Stephens both need matches so this one-off will give them some extra match play," said Palmer. "Baker had only two real tests on her way to winning the New Zealand Residential title while Stephens did not play that tournament."

It promises to be an interesting affair which the players will umpire themselves but with Palmer taking more than a passing interest.

Salerni, after an early Christmas with her family in Argentina, arrived in Auckland yesterday morning and wasted little time in getting in some practice for the biggest tournament of her already impressive career.

"I'm very excited at having the chance to play in Auckland," the 17-year-old said before heading out with her coach, Mercedes Paz.

"It is the first time I have been given a wildcard and gives me the chance to meet some very good players. After playing here I will go on to play qualifying for the Australian Open, so this tournament is very important."

Salerni, winner of the junior crowns at Wimbledon and the US Open this year, has been playing since she started hitting a ball with her older sister as a 4-year-old.

She has turned her back on another year as a junior to chase success on the Sanex WTA Tour.

"I have those junior titles behind me so now is the time to look ahead at my senior career."

In her first two tour events she qualified in Pattaya, Thailand, and lost in the last round of qualifying at the Malaysian tournament in Kuala Lumpur.

Before that she played in the Olympics, where she beat Natasha Zvereva before losing to Barbara Schett, who arrives today hoping to go one better than her semifinals loss two years ago. Top seed Sandrine Testud arrives tomorrow.