Hanley to carry Australia’s hopes in Shanghai

Melbourne-born doubles specialist Paul Hanley will be Australia’s lone representative at this year’s ATP Tennis Masters Cup beginning in Shanghai on Sunday.

Hanley, who will be making his second consecutive appearance at the prestigious event after qualifying with veteran countryman Wayne Arthurs in 2005, may not be a household name in the Australian sporting arena, yet he is the only Australian to qualify for the end of season championships.

Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs qualified for the equivalent tournament on the women’s tour, the WTA Championships.

Australia’s highest ranked male doubles player teamed up with Zimbabwean Kevin Ullyett at the beginning of the 2006 season, opening the year by reaching the final in Adelaide and advancing to the semi-finals at the Australian Open, before going on to taste success at four different events throughout the year.

The pair’s biggest victory came in the form of their first ATP Masters Series trophy in Hamburg in May, and they also managed back-to-back titles in Rotterdam and Dubai earlier in the year.

Hanley and Ullyett became the third combination to book their position in the elite team event back in August and both players are excited about continuing their impressive first year as a doubles pair.

“To qualify by the US Open in the first year of a partnership is really great,” said Ullyett, who is a 2004 finalist with compatriot Wayne Black. “I knew we could do well this year and there was no doubt about that.”

Australia’s Hanley holds similar positive sentiments about qualifying for Shanghai in a partnership that is the newest all of their Shanghai competitors.

“It was one of the goals to achieve this year,” said Hanley. “It’s been good. We continue to play well and continue to understand each other’s game, so it’s new and exciting.”

The Australian-Zimbabwean duo finished the 2006 ATP Doubles Race in fourth position behind American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the intense Swedish-Belarusian team of Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi and the long-time Bahamian-Canadian doubles act of Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor.

Rounding out the quality eight-team field are Martin Damm of Germany and India’s Leander Paes, Israeli duo Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram, Frenchman Fabrice Santoro and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, and the Polish team of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski.

Hanley will celebrate his 29th birthday by opening his 2006 Masters Cup campaign against Damm and Paes at the grand Qi Zhong Stadium on Sunday.

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