The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 25

SATURDAY 7 JANUARY 1995 THI AOI 23 Sport Age Young golfing professional begins his chase for glory Ptdure: RAY KENNEDY tips from former Ueekmg professionals Robbie Emond and Steve Brodey, as well as a video camera, have been all the assistance Andrews has needed Becker win clinches final berth so far. But If personal coaching Is to be of any help, Andrews will soon find out with the sponsorship from the VIS, Including training from state coaches Steve Bann and Dale lynch as well as financial support. The next 12 months make for a daunting challenge, but one that Andrews has wanted since he was an 11 -year-old seen at schools end every dry on a bike with golf clubs dragging behind. Andrews spent his early years as a member at Geelong Golf Club and Is three-times winner of the Geelong Junior championship and was senior club champion at the age of 17. The writing was on the wall for a career In the sport very early.

His tralneeshlp now qualifies him to run a golf pro shop If he fails on the Tour, something he is far from ready to contemplate at this stage. There are plenty of guys who get through the trainee-ship and give up their PGA membership and make a living working In a pro shop. It gets too hard and It depends on how much you want it, I suppose. Vbu get out of It what you want and you've Just got to practise. This Is what I wanted to do, so I've got to give It a real go.

I couldnt Imagine doing something In life that I hated doing." Kit Yi htl of the year Ashley Andrews at shocked Lindsay Davenport, the 18-year-old American, with a 6-0, 6-4 demolition last Tuesday night Davenport, officially the sixth-best woman player in the world, was down 0-6, 0-4 before opening her account for 1995. Becker showed yesterday how he seems to love a challenge. Down a break-point? Time to serve an ace. Into a tie-break? Get serious and win it to Indeed, in the first and second-set tiebreaks, 11 points were played before Fleurian won one. Germany has won the Hop-man Cup once before with Michael Stlch and Steffi Graf in 1993.

Ukraine is in the final for the first time. JASON STOLTENBERG has earned a predictable recall to the Australian Davis Cup squad for its first-round tie against South Africa next month. Injury forced Stoltenberg to miss the victory over New Zealand in Christchurch late last year. But he is back in the squad for the clash in Durban on 3-5 February, along with Pat Rafter, Mark Woodforde, Todd Wood-bridge and Richard Fromberg. HOMETOWN hero Mark Woodforde recorded one of the best wins of his singles career when he toppled defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the Australian hardcourt championship In Adelaide yesterday.

The South Australian set up a meeting with Jim Courier In today's semi-final. Woodforde hung on after a series of service breaks late in the second set to win 6-3, 7-5 against the Russian, ranked No. 11 in the world. Patrick Rafter, seeded fifth, was beaten 6-4, 7-6 by big serving Dutchman Richard Krajicek. By ALAN ATTWOOD, Perth Boris Becker was on the practice court when the national anthems were played to signal the start of the tie between Germany and France at the Hopman Cup yesterday.

Few were watching him, but when the first bars of Deutsch-land Uber Alles rang out, Becker halted his stretching exercises and stood to attention. He did much the same thing a little later In his singles match against Jean-Philippe Fleurian. When it mattered, Becker stood up to be counted. So, despite serving four consecutive double-faults in one game something he cannot remember doing before he won 7-6, 7-6. Becker played without much pressure on him as Anke Huber had already put Germany ahead 1-0 with a 6-2, 6-1 walloping of Julie Halard, who on Wednesday night upset Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.

The two singles wins put the second-seeded Germans into today's final against the fifth-seeded Ukrainian combination of Natalia Medvedeva and Andrei Medvedev. It promises to be an intriguing battle. Neither Medvedeva nor Huber have lost any of their singles matches; Becker will have to play well to defeat Medvedev, who has been ranked as high as sixth in the world; and Medvedev and Huber, who make up a romantic mixed double off-court, may well face each other across the net to decide the event. Medvedeva, Andrei's big sister, has been the surprise packet of this week. She certainly Barwon Heads preparing for his hard to work on your game while you're playing tournaments." But he will be forced to try to Juggle the Tour and his developing skills after the Tour card landed in his lap.

Australian trainee professional 40 hours a week In the shop repairing clubs and studying for exams, to playing against guys on the Tour that have been playing golf full-time for yean, he said. "I Just thought if I could play first tournament on the PGA Tour. And all this without a lesson. Every club hacker who has spent hundreds of dollars on lessons will be envious to learn that Andrews has never had a paid lesson In his life. A combination of helpful ON.

to Mo Armanasco plans for a Magic run Post Badk pi coif full-time for a year with out the pressure of the Tour and manage to play a few of the smaller tournaments, It should make me a better player and I'd get Into the Tour the following year. Its Just a bit 3 ttH By ANTHONY MITHEN Ashley Andrews wont be found In the back shed at the Baiwon Heads Golf dub fixing members' dub this week. This is his first week in the big time. Andrews, the newly crowned Australian trainee professional of the year, will today try to qualify for bis first meaningful tournament: the New Zealand Open In Wellington. After years of dreaming about the world of a touring golfer, he Is suddenly ready to become part of the circus and Is aiming for the big top.

Already In his three-year career as a trainee, he has Impressed all the right people with his swing, style and composure and boasts a number of titles that earned him sponsorship from the Victorian Institute of Sport this year and backing from golf manufacturer Ping last year. But the greatest reward came early fast month when Andrews was the leading third-year apprentice In the Australian trainee championship, earning him an automatic card on the Australasian Tour. It was something Andrews had not really considered and his plans for this year were thrown Into chaos. The 22-year-old was going to spend 1995 working part-time In the Barwon Heads pro shop his workplace for the past three-and-a-half years while practising and refining his swing. "I Just thought It was going to be very hard to go straight from my tralneeshlp, working In Brief South belts Zebras SOCCER: South Melbourne revived its hopes of playing in this year's national league finals when it crushed bottom side Melbourne Zebras 6-0 in front of 6572 fans at Olympic Park last night.

In the early game of a double-header, Sydney United beat lowly Heidelberg 3-0 to consolidate third place. Details: Heidelberg 0 Sydney United 3 (Lamond 12 62 Batac B2): South Melbourne 6 IBoutsiams 7 1 1 Polak 15. Delia Rocca og 45. Kelic 80. TrimM, 88) Melbourne Zebras 0 Juniors win BASKETBALL: Led by South East Melbourne's Sam MacKinnon, the Australian junior men's team has beaten Latvia 98-80 in Riga to win the Latvian international tournament.

MacKinnon scored a team-high 23 points. Battle for Kiwis CRICKET: South Africa needs 88 to win the third and final Test and the series after it dismissed New Zealand for 239 on the last day of the match In Cape Town. New Jets coach AMERICAN FOOTBALL: New York lets have fired head coach Pete Carroll and replaced him with recently sacked Philadelphia Eagles coach Rich Kotite, 52. Tower leads YACHTING: The Auckland-built 15-metre yacht Tower has opened a lead of 10 nautical miles over Australian yacht Sweet Caroline in the Hobart-to-Wellington leg of the Tasman Triangle. Games strike out BASEBALL: Yesterday's rescheduled Australian Baseball League games between Waverley Reds and Brisbane Bandits at Moorabbin, and Sydney Blues and Hunter Eagles at Parramatia, were abandoned because of bad weather.

Tebbutt wildcard TENNIS: Sydney lefthander Michael Tebbutt has gained the third and final men's wildcard for next week's New South Wales Open at White Citv. The other wildcards went to Todd Woodbridge and lamie Morgan. Tour dampener GOLF: The first dav of the United States PGA Tour's season-opening Mercedes Championship has been washed out. Officials have scheduled two rounds for the second day today (Melb time). Spurs, Just BASKETBALL: David Robinson scored 25 points to help San Antonio Spurs beat Utah lazz 104-103 in a US National Basketball Association thriller in Salt Lake City.

In Miami, Billy Owens had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the fourth triple-double in Heat history as Miami beat Minnesota 114-91. 'txxf 'I iL." 'w By ANDREW EDDY feteran trainer Angus Armanasco plans to get the most out of his limited time with impeccably bred filly Tennessee Magic, who resumes In the VOBIS Handicap at Sandown today on her way to a Blue Diamond Stakes start In March. Armanasco said Tennessee Magic was one of the best-bred horses in Australia, but that did not necessarily work In his favor as her trainer. "It's great getting these wonderful horses but, because she has so much good blood in her veins, her real value is as a broodmare and not on the racetrack. "1 think, unless she shows us incredible ability this campaign, that she may not see racing as a three-year-old and instead, go straight to stud." Armanasco gave Tennessee Magic, who is by Bletchingly out of Tennessee Vain, two runs in the spring and she was most impressive, winning at her debut against her own sex before being beaten by promis Zimbabwe its fielding Zimbabwe skipper Andy Flower rates his team 20 or 30 runs better in the field than his English opponents in today's one-day World Series international at the Gabba in Brisbane.

And Flower says it is an aspect of the game that he thinks will be critical. Zimbabwe is clinging to a hope of reaching the finals but must beat England convincingly in its last game and then await the outcome of the three remaining matches. Flower believes Zimbabwe's enthusiasm and effervescence in the field is an edge it must use, as is the underdog tag with which it is lumbered. "Our guys have fielded really well throughout the tour," said Flower. "Its an aspect where we are better than England and could turn around 20 or 30 runs." England will rush Lancashire left-hander Neil Fairbrother, who has just arrived as a batting replacement for the Injured Alec Stewart, Into its line-up.

ing colt Shaded in the Merson Cooper over today's 1000-metre course. "I would have liked her to be a bit further forward for her first-up run, but I want to run her In the Blue Diamond preludes before the Blue Diamond so we have to get her started soon," the trainer said. "She is bred to stay a bit but she seems a pretty good speedster at this stage." Last night, Tennessee Magic was rated a 64 favorite for the VOBIS, with Homestead at 94. The race is also of interest to David Hayes, whose filly Comic Dame needs to finish in the placings to ensure a start in next Saturday's Magic Millions Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast. Sandown racecourse manager Brian Green predicted that last evening's track rating of slow could improve to dead by today's first race at 2.06 pm.

THE racing industry's first marketing director, Jonathon Field, resigned his post last night after just four months. banking on for an edge ENGLAND: Mherton (c). Good). Hk. Ttnnw.

Cnwtoy. FakoraSw, Rhodot. SUdal, Gough. DefreKat, A Finer. ZIMBABWE: Flow, A Cvnpbel, WNflal, A Flower (c), I Butchart, Dekker.

Strang. HStraeXS Peal. DBrakvO Rons. AUSTRALIA: Ttytor (c). Staler, Waugh.

0 Boon. Wauoh. Law Emery, Warm. McDemwa. Flaming.

McGralh, May. AUSTRALIA Bern. Hayden. 0 Mar-lyn (cL Sevan, Langer, Porting, AlWn-on. Renal Robertson, Hughes, George, McWyre.

AUSTRALIA A captain Damien Martyn has defended national selectors over changes to his side that will take on Australia at the Gabba tomorrow. Test batsman Michael Bevan finds himself lining up against the senior side while keeper Phil Emery will play against the A team he played with before Christmas. Martyn was unfazed by the decisions and expects his team to challenge Australia as it did In Its first and last encounter In Adelaide last month. "pupils" graduate to first-class cricket. Shane Warne, Michael Slater, Glenn McGrath, Michael Bevan, Damien Martyn, Justin Langer, Stuart Law and Ricky Pontlng are all academy graduates, who have either played Test or one-day cricket In the present International series.

The academy has been under the guidance of former Australian wicketkeeper Rod Marsh for four years. In December, It twice defeated the touring English team In one -day matches, 31st. MITSUBISHI MOTORS 1 I III MAW' 1 74 TP rgr Cricket academy boosted OFFER ENDS JANUARY 31st The Mitsubishi S1.000 Post Back is now on. Just buy any new Mitsubishi vehicle before January 31st and Mitsubishi will send you a cheque for $1,000. No matter what fantastic offer you get from your fL The Australian Institute of Sport's cricket academy In Adelaide received a big Increase in sponsorship yesterday.

The Commonwealth Bank, which had Invested more than $1 million in the academy since it started In 1987, will Inject about $500,000 this year alone. In return, the academy will be known as the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy. The academy, a joint venture of the AIS and the Australian Cricket Board, has seen 56 of Its participating dealer, the $1,000 cheque is guaranteed. Hurry, offer ends January ft.