World doubles gets underway today

By Kalyan Ashok

BANGALORE, DEC. 12. The 10th edition of the Gold Flake World doubles tennis championship, which gets underway at the KSLTA Stadium in the picturesque setting of the Cubbon Park here, might as well mark the turning point towards a positive direction of the game. The war cry of the doubles players has always been ``we belong here,'' and that the powers that be, ATP, ITF, the singles specialists and media should heed and facilitate in achieving a better status for doubles, than what is being given now.

For an event which had often been reduced to some side show, the doubles gets on the centre stage in its full glory with a whopping prize money kitty of $ 750,000. The tournament can be a novel experience for the Bangalorians, but for most the great moment of watching Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, in action at Bangalore has materialised.

The very fact, the KSLTA went for the event, is a with fervent hope that it will culminate with a heart warming show by the Indian duo, which reached the dizzy heights of stardom in a five year span and which saw them crowned as No. 1 pair in the World 1999. They made Four Grand Slams - French Open, Australian Open and US Open. The won first two and they finished as runner- up at the World Doubles for the second time after being the finalists in the 1997.

Though the fans might root for and Indian triumph, the tournament has an open ended look about it. Rick Leach and Ellis Ferreira begin as the fancied pair, with an Australian Open title under their belts and they made the US Open final. The Dutch-Aussie combination of Paul Haarhuis and Sandon Stolle is another pair, which is capable raising its game to highest level. They made seven finals, including the French Open this year, before capping it with a win in Lyons and have jelled as a good pair, since coming together early this year.``We are happy at the way things are going for us and looking forward to a good tournament,'' said Paul Haarhuis, who at 34, is a seasoned doubles campaigner who was World doubles champion in 1993 along with Jacco Eltingh and runner-up again in 1998, again with Eltingh.

The fourth seeded pair, David Adams and John Laffine De Jager, pulled out as de Jager suffered a wrist injury last week and they are replaced by Swedish combination of Simon Aspilen and Landsberg. Josh Eagle and Andrew Florent, may not have had very big wins this season, but the Australian duo which plays a flashy and entertaining game while Don Johnson (US) Piet Norval are the other team with an outside chance. They too like Eagle and Florent, have had some good wins in the season including over Leach and Ferreira, Gambill and Humphrey, O'Brien and Palmer and Agassi and Sargsian.

The Chief Minister, Mr. S.M.Krishna drew the lots to determine the groupings at the Hotel Windsor Manor this evening, and the draw wasn't too kind for the Indian pair, which is in the Gold Group headed by Paul Haarhuis and Sandon Stolle. The other tough is pair Alex O'Brien and Jared Palmer. The other team in Group is Piet Norval and Don Johnson.

Commenting on the draw, Leander and Mahesh, who play against Paul Haarhuis and Sandon Stolle first, said ``It's tough alright, but we will take on match at a time.''

The top seeds, Rick Leach and Ellis Ferreira head the Red Group with Josh Eagle and Andrew Florent, Jaime Oncins and Daniel Orsanic and Simon Aspelin and Johan Landsberg completing the line up in the group.

From Wednesday through Friday, all the teams play round robin in their respective groups and top two teams go into the semifinals slated for Saturday. It will be criss court ties in the semifinals with No.1 of the Red Group meeting No.2 of Golden Group and No.1 of Gold Group taking on No.2 of Red Group. The finals are slated for Sunday.

The Chief Minister wished all the teams a week of good tennis and a pleasant stay while, Mr.Brad Drewett, Vice President of the ATP Tour complimented the CM and the KSLTA for its superb effort in turning a bare stadium without frills, into a classy complex fit for the ATP Tour event within a short span of five months.

Mr. C.S. Sunder Raju, the Secretary of the KSLTA and Mr. Krishna Bhupathi, Director of the Tournament, thanked the ATP Tour and all sponsors for their support in helping it to stage the event in Bangalore.

The Groupings: Red Group: Rick Leach (US) & Ellis Ferreira (SA); Josh Eagle & Andrew Florent (Aus); Jaime Oncins (Brz) and Johan Daniel Orsanic (Arg); Simon Aspilen & Johan Landsberg (Swe).

Gold Group: Paul Haarhuis (Ned) & Sandon Stolle (Aus); Alex O'Brien & Jared Palmer (US); Don Johnson (US) & Piet Norval (SA); Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes (Ind).

Schedule for Wednesday (from 3.00 p.m.): Josh Eagle & Andrew Florent v Jaime Oncins & Daniel Orsanic; Alex O'Brien & Jared Palmer v Don Johnson & Piet Norval; Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes v Paul Haarhuis & Sandon Stolle; Rick Leach & Ellis Ferreira v Aspilen & Johan Landsberg.

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