REFEREE Steve Mehigan endured a frustrating day at Riverview yesterday when the Oil of Ulay sponsored Irish Open tennis championships were delayed by rain for almost seven hours.
Mehigan, tied to ITF rules governing $10,000 satellite events that allow for postponements up to a third day of scheduled competition, was fortunate, however, finally to get some first round matches and remaining qualifying round ties on court before late evening.
Pam Nelson, of the US who is seeded at eight, could be a real dark horse. She has Just arrived from winning the satellite event in Frinton last week and was not one to hang about when dismissing Tanja Buchheim of Germany 6-0 6-0 in just over a half hour.
Following the enforced withdrawal of Australia's top seeded Robyn Mawdsley through injury, the number one spot in the women's singles went to Austria's Evelyn Fauth, who has her closest challenger in Finland's Linda Jansson.
Gina Niland is the only Irish player to be seeded in the draw. She figures at four after Sweden's Maria Persson. Ireland's two other hopefuls, Claire Curran and Yvonne Doyle, came through the qualifying route.
Disappointingly, two of the best young home players in the men's singles, Robert Collins and Peter Rowell, were forced to withdraw with injuries.
