SA Open qualification extended

Johannesburg - South African tennis players who have yet to gain a place in next month's South African Open will have two bites of the cherry to qualify for the R3,7m event at Montecasino - in the first instance by winning the preceding South African Closed Championships and then by competing for one of the four places in the pre-tournament qualifying event.

This was confirmed on Tuesday by South African Open referee Iain Smith and provides Raven Klaasen, Fritz Wolmarans, Andrew Anderson and Jean Andersen, among others, with an inviting opportunity of making an impact on home courts in an ATP international circuit tournament.

Davis Cup players Rik De Voest and Izak van der Merwe have already secured their places in the 32-man draw at Montecasino through the award of two of the three wild cards that were designated for South Africans.

"The third wild card," said Smith, "will be awarded to next week's South African Closed tournament winner at the German Club on the outskirts of Johannesburg - a move that is not only designed to provide all South African players with an opportunity to compete on the world stage at Montecasino, but will, at the same time, enhance the quality of the entry at the national tournament reserved for local players.

"With the incentive of earning a place at Montecasino," added Smith, " we are expecting all the leading South African players apart from Kevin Anderson, De Voest and Van der Merwe to enter the tournament at the German Club.

South African number one Kevin Anderson, who was crushed 6-1 6-1 6-2 by Andy Murray in the first round of the current Australian Open at Melbourne Park, has surprisingly decided against entering the South African Open - and, needless to say, he won't be competing at the German Club either.