Top four world pairs secure ATP finals
Top four world pairs secure ATP finals
JAKARTA (JP): With only four key tournaments remaining, the
top four world pairs have secured their part in the Association
of Tennis Professional (ATP) doubles championship final here in
November.
The latest ATP doubles rankings confirmed that season leaders
Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands, number two
Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, third ranked Grant Connell of
Canada and Patrick Galbraith of the U.S., and number four Byron
Black of Zimbabwe and his American teammate Jonathan Stark have
collected enough points and mathematically qualify for the final
held for the first time ever in Indonesia.
Eight finalists are tipped to play round robin matches during
the Nov. 23-27 at the Senayan indoor stadium, vying for a total
of US$1.4 million prize money which includes a bonus for the
year-end number one pair.
The four entries left will be decided in the following seven
weeks, when ATP championship series will be staged in various
sites around the world.
"It's exciting to see the race shaping up for the remaining
spots," World Doubles tournament director Russell Barlow told a
press conference yesterday at the Jakarta Hilton International
Hotel, the host for the world doubles players during the final.
The race for vital ranking points will start at the Ansett
Australian indoor tournament in Sydney next week, where at least
five of the world's top doubles are scheduled to play, with the
winning pair earning 280 points. They will travel to the Seiko
Open in Tokyo in the following week, battling for another
winners' 280 points.
Decisive
The last two key events will be held in Stockholm and Paris,
having 330 and 380 points respectively.
Three events in Moscow, Antwerp and Buenos Aires held
simultaneously Nov. 7-13 will probably serve as decisive ones in
case the complete field for the World Doubles Championship are
not fulfilled until the final week of the season as happened last
year.
Dutchmen Eltingh and Haarhuis, last year's champions in
Johannesburg, South Africa, will make their second trip here this
year after taking four titles, including the Australia Open and
the U.S. Open, Grand Slam's opening and closing championships.
Australia's "Woodies" have earned also four titles to date.
The 1992 World Doubles champions carved out their second
successive victory in Wimbledon last July. They lost to the Dutch
pair in the recent U.S. Open.
Left-handed duo of Connell and Galbraith, who finished 1993 as
the number one pair, won in three tournaments in Indian Wells and
Washington and reached the finals in Stuttgart and Wimbledon.
Black and Stark are assured of the ticket to Jakarta for their
victories in Memphis, the French Open and Toronto.
Jakarta has been chosen to host the ATP Tour World Doubles
final for two straight years. "We also hope to bring the next
three finals here," Barlow said.
World Doubles Ranking (as of Sept. 21)
1. Eltingh/Haarhuis (Ned) 3345
2. Woodbridge/Woodforde (Aus) 2762
3. Connell (Can)/Galbraith (USA) 2659
4. Black (Zim)/Stark (USA) 2594
5. Adams (Aus)/Olhovsky (Rus) 1954
6. Apell/Bjorkman (Swe) 1685
7. Nijssen (Ned)/Suk (Cze) 1442
8. Casal/Sanchez (Spa) 1296
9. Holm/Jarryd (Swe) 1245
10. Kulti/Larsson (Swe) 1049