KUERTEN HAS OPENING TO SHINE IN MELBOURNE

Could this year be the one for Guga?

By Dave Worsley
Special to tennisreporters.net

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN – After what can only be called a sad record for Gustavo Kuerten at the Australian Open, the charismatic Brazilian has a chance to create a little bit of history and perhaps stick a dagger into the hopes of Australia along the way.

Never before has Guga, 26, had such good preparation for the first Grand Slam of the year. But then Guga has never surpassed the second round of the Aussie Open either. In fact, his record stands in Melbourne stands at four wins, six losses.

Kuerten will face Moroccan Hicham Arazi in his first-round match.

"I raised my level so much from the first match of the tournament," said Guga of his Heineken Open title run in Auckland. "The confidence I got from the level of tennis I had this week is good for the Open, so much better than in the past I didn't expect to win when I arrived this week."

But since 1990 only two players who have won a pre-Australian Open tournament have gone on to win in Melbourne – Petr Korda after winning Doha in 1998 and Pete Sampras after winning Sydney in 1994. However Guga thinks this can change. "You never know. I think I have had some good matches and maybe I can do well … at least better than in the past, which has not been so good," he said. ."

Perhaps Guga could become the first South American-based player to win in Melbourne since Guillermo Vilas in 1980, although, officially, it was the 1979 event. Guga is one of the few top players not suffering a major injury, as his surgically repaired hip appears to have healed fully. With no Sampras, Tommy Haas, Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski or defending champ Thomas Johansson in the Open draw, and last year's finalist Marat Safin looking shaky, the chances for Guga to reach the final look good if he can find a way past the super-motivated Aussie, Lleyton Hewitt, in the third round.

Adams/Koenig: in through the outdoors
Meanwhile in the doubles final at the Heineken Open in Auckland, winners David Adams and Robbie Koenig of South Africa could claim an interesting bragging rights. They can rightly call themselves the Heineken Open indoor and outdoor champs as one of their four matches was fully played indoors and another against Alistair Hunt and Mark Nielsen started outdoors but was completed indoors. Their final had them beating the relatively unknown Czech pairing of Leos Friedl and Tomas Cibulec of the Czech Republic in the Vodafone doubles final. It was a businesslike performance from the South Africans, minus much of the net dueling that characterizes doubles. It was the no-nonsense approach from the Africans that proved decisive in their 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 win.

In an unusual move, the doubles final ended up being played the day before the singles final due to the rain. Koenig said after the final that he would love to move to New Zealand with his young family. "I'm at a stage in life where I really mean that," he said, as he and Adams celebrated their win – their second in only four ATP tournaments as a partnership. "I have one child and another soon to be born. I love it here and would love to come and live, by the end of this year if possible."

Wanted: Davis Cup teammate
New Zealand is struggling to find enough players to field a Davis Cup team against Pakistan in Hamilton in February and may have to do without any pros.

New Zealand has just one full time pro, Mark Nielsen, who has been the mainstay of the side since 1997 and has a current ATP ranking of 331 in singles and 200 in doubles. Two of the next best are recently retired – Dan Willman and Alistair Hunt – while their has been talk of getting Brett Steven to come out of retirement to play Davis Cup.