Dutch pair gather momentum

Dutch pair gather momentum

JAKARTA (JP): Dutch duo Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh
progressed in leaps and bounds in their quest for the year-end
ATP World Doubles Championship finals appearance in Jakarta after
winning the Monte Carlo Open over the weekend.

The pairing, which triumphed in the 1993 finals in
Johannesburg, earned 376 winners' points after fighting off
surprised finalists Luis Lobo of Argentina and Javier Sanchez of
Spain 6-3, 6-4 to rise from sixth to third in the latest ATP
world doubles rankings issued on Monday.

Eltingh and Haarhuis have now collected 1,105 points to edge
the Australian team of Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde into
fourth place at the provisional rankings with a 41 points gap.
New faces Trever Kronemann of Australia and American David
Machperson dropped one place to fifth.

Sanchez and Lobo also jumped from 28th to 11th on the strength
of their run in Monte Carlo.

There is no change in the top two places, with the American-
Canadian pair of Grant Connell and Patrick Galbraith topping the
rankings, followed by American Davis Cup regulars Jared Palmer
and Richey Reneberg.

The Monte Carlo Open, one of the Super 9 tournaments played in
Europe, gave Haarhuis and Eltingh their second title of the year.
They won their first tournament in Philadelphia in February.

The Dutch duo, who finished 1994 as the world's number one
team, were named the Doubles Team of Year during the ATP Tour
awards dinner in Monte Carlo. A similar award for singles went to
Pete Sampras for the second time in a row.

Jakarta will host the season ending ATP World Doubles
Championship for the second year running from Nov. 21 to 26.
(amd)