Australian doubles team steady on road to Jakarta

Australian doubles team steady on road to Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): The Australian doubles team of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde proved to be hot contenders for the Association of Tennis Professionals World Doubles Championship finals after their successful title defense in Pinehurst over the weekend.

The Woodies, the 1992 champions and the season-ending championship regulars since 1991, passed their first clay court test prior to the French Open with an easy 6-2, 6-4 victory over second seeds Alex O'Brien and Sandon Stolle for their 25th title.

Two-time Wimbledon champions Woodbridge and Woodforde maintain their grip at fifth place on the latest doubles rankings after winning their third title of the year.

They are just 18 points behind new elite team of Australian David Macpherson and American Trevor Kronemann who have now collected 1,244 points after reaching the German Open quarterfinals in Hamburg last week.

Former world number one team Grant Connell of the United States and Patrick Galbraith of Canada stood unmoved at the top of the latest rankings despite their loss in the German Open quarterfinals. The mixed nationality pair now lead the pack of world doubles teams with 1,341 points.

The German Open also helped Dutchmen Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis move one step ahead to second place in the rankings, dislodging American Davis Cup pair of Jared Palmer and Richey Reneberg.

Eltingh and Haarhuis, winners in the 1993 finals in Johannesburg, advanced to the semifinals in Hamburg only to crash to Byron Black and Andrei Olhovsky.

Only eight teams will be eligible for the year-end championship at the Senayan indoor tennis stadium in November. Jakarta will hold the US$1.3 million tournament for the second year running.(amd)