By TERRY MADDAFORD
Auckland tennis bosses are anxiously looking skywards in a good news, bad news start to their international tournament.
Up to six main-draw players in the Vodafone singles could be in the air en route to Auckland when the first balls are hit on the opening day of the Heineken Open at Stanley St this morning.
While the late arrivals of players - including sixth seed Marcelo Rios - who have reached the finals of ATP tournaments in Qatar, India and Australia and the Hopman Cup in Perth will cause scheduling problems, tournament director Graham Pearce is quick to put a positive spin on the problem.
"It means we will have plenty of in-form players here," said Pearce.
"We will fit them all in, but some might not have too much time before they have to be on court as all first-round matches have to be completed by Tuesday night."
In overnight action, unseeded Rios was to play Czech qualifier Bohdan Ulihrach in the singles final at a $US1 million ($2.2 million) tournament in Doha, Qatar.
Spain's Juan Balcells will play in the doubles final at the same tournament.
Rios is due to play France's Arnaud Di Pasquale in the first round in Auckland, and Balcells will meet Czech Michel Tabara, who has a special exemption for the tournament.
Tabara will be another racing Down Under after playing unseeded Russian Andrei Stoliarov in the final of the $US400,000 Gold Flake Open in Chennai, India, last night.
Byron Black (Zimbabwe), the fifth seed here, was to play the doubles final with his brother Wayne at the Indian tournament before heading to Auckland.
Unseeded Chilean Nicolas Massu, beaten in the final of an ATP tournament in Adelaide yesterday by German Tommy Haas, will meet third seed Jan-Michael Gambill first up at Stanley St in a busy schedule tomorrow.
Gambill was another late arrival after playing for the United States in their 0-2 loss to Switzerland in Saturday's Hopman Cup final in Perth.
While Pearce would not comment on tomorrow's draw, it seems likely Rios or one of the other late-arriving seeds will play the night singles.
Tennis: In-form players turning up late to Heineken Open
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