Tennis: Wildcard duo spring surprise success

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Back for one last time, Alistair Hunt surprised himself when he and Mark Nielsen gave New Zealand fans something to cheer about on the opening day of the open yesterday.

After a rain-delayed start, the New Zealanders, handed a wildcard into main draw doubles, scored a straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win over Argentinians Agustin Calleri and Guillermo Coria.

While not touting themselves as any great doubles combination, the Argentines are no mugs either, as their respective singles rankings of 47 and 57 attest.

It is 30-year-old Hunt's last open. It is also his chance to show Davis Cup non-playing captain Glen Wilson he is worth one more tie.

"There is no way I could ever go out after last year's disaster," Hunt said, referring to the ignominious 4-1 loss to India in Wellington. "I couldn't live with that."

Now he wants to win a place in the team to play Pakistan in Hamilton next month.

As the most established Kiwi combination in recent times and with yesterday's win, their selection seems certain.

In steamy conditions and temperatures of about 30C, the New Zealanders began strongly, with Nielsen holding to love. Coria won the first two points of the next service game, but no more as Hunt/Nielsen went 2-0 and then 3-0.

Games went with service as the local hopes won the set in 29 minutes, Nielsen finishing it with his only ace of the match.

Coria started the second with an ace, Hunt managed three, but the set - inevitably - went to a tiebreak with no service breaks.

The Argentines held set points at 6-5 and 7-6 but failed to convert either.

Hunt won two points on serve for 8-7, the Argentines then saved match point on serve to level at 8-8. Coria dropped his second serve and, at 9-8, Nielsen needed no further invitation to complete the task in 1h 22min.

"While we both played well on our serves, I was actually nervous for the whole match," said Nielsen, who was happy to use the first day outing to reaquaint himself with the ASB Tennis Centre before his first round singles against in-form Austrian Stefan Koubeck today.

"There were a couple of big points which we converted, but I was always thinking third set. The court was playing so fast."

Of his match with Koubeck - who did not arrive until yesterday afternoon - Nielsen said: "Who knows how he will wake up? I think I have the advantage in having played doubles."

Hunt said he was using the open as preparation for the Davis Cup before biding farewell to the sport which has occupied much of his life for a decade.

The rest of the early opening day action - after overnight and morning rain had delayed proceedings - centred on the third- round qualifying matches.

American Robert Kendrick spent more time on a back court than he would have wanted in beating Swede Joachim Johansson 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Kendrick walked off court to be greeted with the news his reward was a first-round proper clash today with top seed and hot favourite Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic.

Dutchman Martin Verkerk won his qualifier and will meet former world No 1 Gustavo Kuerten. Americans Michael Russell and Robby Ginepri also progressed to the main draw.