Tennis: Blow to Classic as Pierce pulls out

Richard Palmer now reckons lightning can strike twice in the same place after losing star act Mary Pierce for next week's international women's tournament.

The former Australian and French Open champion advised she was pulling out of the ASB Classic yesterday with injury.

There was no explanation of what the injury was, but the 29-year-old Frenchwoman, who was to be third seed for the US$140,000 ($196,000) tournament, has also withdrawn from the high profile Medibank International in Sydney the following week and is in doubt for the Australian Open starting on January 17.

A year ago tournament director Palmer was pulling his hair out at the late withdrawal of controversial Serb-turned-Australian-turned-Serb-again Jelena Dokic.

"The extent of the injury hasn't been specified but it's one of those things, and now it's two years in a row," Palmer said.

"They say lightning doesn't strike twice but it's one of the frustrations of sport and it is disappointing."

Pierce's place in the main draw goes to the next player on the entry list, American Abigail Spears, a 23-year-old Californian with an entry ranking of No 92 and winner of two WTA doubles titles this year and the Auckland doubles crown in 2003.

Russian Alina Jidkova, world No 55, becomes eighth seed with the other seeds moving up one spot.

The second and final wildcard has gone to another Russian, Lina Krasnoroutskaya, a former world junior No 1 whose career has been blighted by injury and illness.

Krasnoroutskaya, who began this year at world No 25 before a series of problems hamstrung her campaign, was "delighted" with the news, Palmer said, and has given an assurance that she will return to the Classic next year.

The only other serious wildcard contender was New Zealand's Shelley Stephens, who instead has a pass into qualifying, starting tomorrow.

Stephens, 26, has been given wildcards in each of the last nine years into either qualifying or the main draw and has yet to win a set, let alone a match.

It's a tricky issue as there is a feeling wildcards should be given to players from the host country. But Palmer is happy with his decision.

"She took it hard, and fair enough," he said of Stephens' reaction.

"But she hasn't been thrown out, she's still in the tournament and it's up to her to prove herself.

"It was a hard decision but we've got to weigh everything up."

That included the profile of the event and what wildcards might bring to the tournament.

The other wildcard has gone to 16-year-old Auckland prodigy Marina Erakovic.

The other most prominent New Zealander, Leanne Baker, has got a wildcard into the main doubles draw after good results this year, and a pass into the singles qualifying.

The 32-strong field will comprise 25 players from the entry list - with American Amy Frazier the top seed - Erakovic and Krasnoroutskaya as wildcards, the top four from the qualifying event, and Czech Republic player Lucie Safarova.

The 17-year-old qualifies as runnerup of a US$50,000 tournament in Ashburn, Georgia, this year.

The winner of that event, American Laura Granville, is already in the main draw.