Tennis

Tennis hopefuls get shot to climb ladder

By NANCY MORGAN
Published January 25, 2005

CLEARWATER - Dreams of 32 aspiring professional tennis players are on the line this week in the Sheriff Jim Coats Clearwater Women's Open at the McMullen Tennis Complex.

Dunedin's Erin Heeder is among the players hoping to earn professional ranking points at the USTA Pro Circuit event. Heeder, a Dunedin High graduate and a sophomore at the University of Tampa, received a discretional wild card into this week's main draw.

"When I learned there was an opportunity to qualify for a wild card, I applied for it," said Heeder, 19, who has done volunteer work for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, which is benefiting from the event.

"I started playing tennis when I was about 11 and had some good successes when I was 16 and 18, but then sort of burned out for a while," she said. "Now, I'm ready to play and am thrilled I have this chance. This is my first Pro Circuit event and I'd like to play more of them and see where it takes me."

Heeder meets No.2 seed Christina Wheeler of Australia in her opening match Wednesday. Wheeler, 22, turned pro in 2000 and is ranked No.313. In 2003, the Ukraine-born Wheeler was ranked as high as No.147.

Yan-Ze Xie from China, a finalist in the first two Pro Circuit events in Florida, is Clearwater's No.1 seed. One of the youngest players in the tournament is Ana Tatishville, 14, from the Republic of Georgia, who earned a wild card into the main draw.

Anne Mall of California, 30, is working on a comeback after being out of tennis 11 years. At 19, Mall faced Steffi Graf in the first round of the U.S. Open. At least five cases of heat exhaustion forced Mall out of tennis at 23.

Competition starts at 10 a.m. today for half the 32-player singles draw and some of the 16-team doubles competition. Wednesday, the rest of the main-draw singles plays and the doubles continues.

Singles and doubles semifinal matches are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday and the finals at noon Sunday.

For specific playing times, call the McMullen Tennis Complex at (727) 669-1919.

[Last modified January 25, 2005, 09:50:19]