Mecir Defeats Schapers for Sixth Time to Win the Title in New Zealand Open
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Top-seeded Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia shook off a hand injury Sunday to win the New Zealand Open with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Michiel Schapers of the Netherlands.
“I was a little nervous to start with and my volleys were horrible,†Mecir said after beating Schapers for the sixth consecutive time. “Usually I play like that when I have not played for awhile, but that was not the case against Schapers. I had already had several matches in the tournament, but I felt weak in the hand and could not hold the ball on the racket for as long as I would have wished.â€
Mecir’s disadvantage saw him drop service in the second game of the first set--one of only two times Schapers managed to break service.
“I came to prepare for the Australian Open grand-slam event and perhaps it was a risk, but I wanted to have some play on grass before the open,†Mecir said.
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