Tennis: Early wildcard gets Nielsen into Open

New Zealand No 1 Mark Nielsen has been handed an early wildcard into the main draw at next year's international tournament.

Heineken Open tournament director Graham Pearce yesterday announced the decision to give Nielsen, 28, one of the three wildcards into the main draw for the singles. Nielsen, at 314, is the highest-ranked New Zealander on the ATP rankings after starting the year at 615.

He has won two Futures singles titles and been runner-up in two other tournaments and a semifinalist at five other Futures events this year. Nielsen has twice won first-round matches at the open.

He will be joined in the main draw by another, yet-to-be-determined, New Zealander.

The next five players on the ATPO rankings, Rubin Statham (638), Dan King-Turner (683), Adam Thompson (777), GD Jones (864) and William Ward (1542), are to be given their chance to win through at two tournaments next month.

They will play the NZ Residentials at North Harbour from December 14-18 and, from either December 26 or 28 (depending on the number of players) to December 31, a special wildcard tournament. Points will be awarded for each win, increasing to four for the winner of the wildcard tournament, with the top points-scorer joining Nielsen at the ASB Tennis Centre.

Up to four wildcards into the Open qualifying tournament on January 7-8 will be awarded to the unsuccessful players.

Pearce will tomorrow name at least two of the world's top 20 players for the open.