Tennis: King-Turner the wildcard

Dan King-Turner

Dan King-Turner breathed a sigh of relief after winning the final match of the Heineken Open wildcard tournament.

After chasing Adam Thompson for most of the four-person playoff, he managed to secure the third and final wildcard into the main draw of the international tournament alongside Mark Philippoussis and Mark Nielsen.

King-Turner's chance at the wildcard was reliant on Thompson losing his match against William Ward.

Heavy rain delayed the start. Thompson won the first set 6-4. The second set went to a tiebreak and Thompson had an advantage and a couple of match points but some tentative play saw Ward win 9-7.

Rain struck again going into the third set and Ward won 6-3 for an overall score of 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 leaving Thompson on tenterhooks and hoping for a King-Turner loss.

King-Turner, 21, needed to defeat Rubin Statham. The Canterbury player, who now lives in Auckland, played his best match of the playoffs, to beat Statham 6-2, 6-2 and earn himself a guaranteed US$4000 ($5,874) prizemoney in the Heineken Open.

"It was definitely a relief. I had mixed emotions watching Thompson, especially when he had match points," he said.