All Black Andrew Mehrtens is swapping the rugby field for the tennis
court.

Once rated one of the country's most exciting players on the national
junior tennis circuit, he will play doubles with Martina Navratilova
and Monica Seles in their exhibition match in Christchurch next
month.

Mehrtens has confirmed he will partner either of the international
tennis stars in doubles after their ASB Navratilova Seles Classic
exhibition singles at the Westpac Centre on February 3.

Canterbury Tennis Executive Director David Blackwell now faces the
daunting task of finding a fourth doubles player who can foot it on
court with the 'mercurial Mehrts'.

"We're obviously delighted that Mehrts has agreed to take part in the
exhibition. In the past when he partnered former world number ones,
Steffi Graf and John McEnroe, he has been right up to the task,"
David Blackwell says.

"Mehrts can hit the ball hard, but he's also very fast on court and
magic around the net. We want to keep the doubles even, so the hunt
is on to track down a celebrity of his ability."

Andrew Mehrtens is now coordinating the local and international
selection process for his mixed doubles opponent. "I'll be holding
all sorts of trials over the next few weeks with a few of my sporting
colleagues who I know are pretty handy with a racquet. Once they've
gone through my rigorous process, they'll certainly be ready for the
best in the world next month," he says.

David Blackwell says ticket sales for this month's exhibition are at
about the same level as that last year for the John McEnroe - Pat
Cash exhibition.

"However there are still plenty of very good seats available and we
are expecting an excellent response from the public over the next two
weeks," he says.

Tickets are available through Ticketek outlets throughout the
country. The Christchurch exhibition matches have traditionally
proved popular with tennis fans throughout the South Island and lower
North Island, David Blackwell says.

"We are again getting quite a bit of interest from tennis supporters
in Wellington."

The Christchurch exhibition follows one in Auckland two days earlier
between Navratilova and Seles, who are both playing for their first
time ever in New Zealand.

They are both left-handers and former world number ones. Navratilova
has won a staggering 58 Grand Slam titles in her career spanning more
than 30 years. Her record includes nine Wimbledon singles titles (six
consecutive) and the rare achievement of being the only man or woman
in the Tennis Open era to win every title in singles, doubles or
mixed at every Grand Slam at least once. She won her first Grand Slam
title aged 17 and her 58th aged 46.

Seles, 31, who intends holidaying in New Zealand with her mother
after the exhibition matches, has won nine Grand Slam singles titles.
She is universally popular with crowds who admire both her tenacity
and courage.

Her New Zealand exhibition matches mark her return to tennis
following recovery from a foot injury which has prevented her
competing for the past 18 months.