Tennis: Fan favourite to open Heineken Open account

Fernando Gonzalez

The noise levels are sure to rise if popular 2005 champion Fernando Gonzalez has his way at the Heineken Open tennis tournament in Auckland.

The powerful Chilean opens his account today against Peru's Luis Horna.

Gonzalez commanded considerable vocal support 12 months ago and he later acknowledged that was crucial to his tournament victory.

He went on from his brilliant start to 2005 to record some great results, and has since climbed to a career high world ranking of No 11.

His touch is now as big a part of his game as his power, and as well as hitting the cover off the ball in practice he has been displaying impressive accuracy on the volley.

Horna, his first round opponent, lost in the final round of qualifying but made it through as the "lucky loser".

He is on the comeback trail after finishing 2005 ranked No 71. Last year Horna was the eighth seed in Auckland but lost in the first round to eventual finalist Olivier Rochus.

That began a horror run of six successive first-round losses.

Horna turned around things to reach the quarterfinals in Houston, Gstaad and Washington.

Today features some attractive match-ups, with world No 15, former champion and fourth seed Dominik Hrbaty, of Slovakia, expected to have his hands full with Nicolas Massu, of Chile.

Massu, 26, reached a career-high singles ranking of No 9 in 2004 but is now regarded as more of a doubles specialist although his singles rankings remains a respectable No 65.

Young American Robby Ginepri, ranked No 16, faces Spaniard Alberto Martin, now at No 49.

The Rochus brothers of Belgium have both drawn prototypical Latin baseliners.

Olivier Rochus is to meet Albert Montanes, of Spain, while Christophe Rochus will face Jose Acasuso, of Argentina.

Seventh-seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen, currently ranked No 29, will meet Marcos Baghdatis, of Cyprus, while Italian Filippo Volandri meets American veteran Paul Goldstein.

The first round action largely went as predicted, with the exception of eighth seed, Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who made an early exit when upset by the hard working Robin Vik, of the Czech Republic.

Vik prevailed in their first round encounter 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 after benefiting from a succession of errors from Lopez in the second set.

Having been pushed all the way in the opening set, the unseeded Vik, ranked No 57 in the world, merely had to show some patience in the second as a carefree Lopez forced the issue and came unstuck time and again.

Britain's rising star Andy Murray bounded into the second round by eliminated Danish veteran Kenneth Carlsen 7-5 6-2.

New Zealand wildcard Daniel King-Turner was comprehensively beaten 6-2 6-2 by Germany's Florian Mayer, while another winner was Swiss Davis Cup player Stanislas Wawrinka, who overcame Tomas Zib, of the Czech Republic, 6-3 6-4.

New Zealand's second entry, Mark Nielsen, was eliminated by Croatian Davis Cup player Mario Ancic, who was too good in winning 6-1 6-2.

Ancic, ranked No 21 and a former Wimbledon semifinalist, was in top form although Nielsen was never out of the rallies as the majority of games went to deuce.

Ancic is looking forward to his second round match tomorrow against Murray.

"I watched him play. He's obviously a great talent and it's going to be a challenge and hopefully a good match again. I will have to be focused."

- NZPA