TENNIS IRISH OPEN:SEVEN IRISH players go into the first round of the Green Property Men's Irish Open which begins at Fitzwilliam LTC today. Just one local player Tommy Murphy advanced from the qualifying event played over the weekend with fellow Irish player Fabio Molle falling at the last hurdle to Philip Barlow from Britain.
Murphy’s win over Markos Danis from Slovakia earns him a first-round match against Malta’s Mathew Asciak with Irish Davis Cup player James McGee facing Australian Mathew Barton in his first outing. McGee, who was involved in Ireland’s two Davis Cup matches this year against Turkey and Lithuania, is Ireland’s highest ranked player in the €15,000 Futures event and is seeded at five for the tournament.
Daniel Glancy, ranked at 976, was the last direct acceptance into the competition and has drawn the number one seed for his opener. Josh Goodall from Britain sits at the top of the table and meets the Irishman first up.
John Morrisey, Ireland’s promising junior who is currently under the wing of the International Tennis Federation in a developmental group of players, has received a wildcard for the competition as has James Cluskey.
Lazare Kukhalashvili has also been Irish based for a number of years but does not have an Irish passport and is entered under the Georgian flag. He, too, has received a competition wild card from the organisers.
Goodall is the British number three player after Andy Murray and James Ward and lost in the first round of Wimbledon on four successive years. His anticipated finalist, the number two seed, is Miroslav Mecir from Slovakia. Mecir is the son of the former Grand Slam player and twice Grand Slam finalist and Olympic gold medal winner of the same name.
The competition is a chance for Irish players to collect some valuable ranking points on home ground. All of them will be familiar with the surface at Fitzwilliam and have been practising there all week. Louk Sorensen and Conor Niland, the two highest profile Irish names, are not taking part. Niland is a playing a higher level competition in Russia while Sorensen is in Germany recovering from injury.
Other than McGee, the only other seeded player from Ireland is Colin O’Brien at eight. He plays French qualifier Olivettis Albano in the first round.
In all, three Irish players are on court today, McGee, Morrisey and Cluskey as well as Kukhalashvili, who faces Morrisey.
ORDER OF PLAY(Singles)
11.00am. Centre Court: N Rosenzweig (Fra) v M Mecir (SVK); M Barton (AUS) v J McGee (IRL); X Spong (NED) v J Cluskey (IRL); J Morrisey (IRL) v L Kukhalashvili (GEO)
11.00. Court Two: S Borg (SWE) v C Grassi (ITA); P Barlow (GBR) v A Escoffier (FRA); J Ludlow (USA) v P Brydolf (SWE).
