Pless serves up easy win

Since becoming world junior champion last year, the schedule of Denmark's talented teenager Kristian Pless has been as varied as his well-honed game.

The pattern of the past few days has been typical, taking him from the sodden Leinster LTC to Fitzwilliam's indoor courts and on to Roland Garros this morning to join Andre Agassi and Martina Hingis, where all three will be toasted for their achievements as leaders of world tennis last season.

Pless, a qualifier, left Fitzwilliam a happy man yesterday after beating temperamental Australian Grant Doyle 6-3 6-7 6-0 in the final of the ITF Futures Open, his second success in the grade.

Although he dislikes playing indoors, Pless successfully based his game on a superb serve. Another big difference, according to Pless, was Doyle's propensity to crumble when under pressure. "To give in like that because he went a break down early on in the final set is not good".

The two players are contemplating contrasting futures. "I am beating players around the 100 mark at present and I hope to be in the top 10, playing for a Grand Slam within three to four years," said Pless. Doyle, the world's best junior in 1992, subsequently failed to go the way of Stefan Edberg, and is now thinking of retiring at the age of 26.

Pless, a winner in Australia and a runner-up at Wimbledon at under-18 level last summer, always felt he had control of the match despite losing a second-set tie break.

He broke a tetchy Doyle with superb returns in the second game of the final set, and from that point the Australian succumbed to the inevitability of defeat.

"He is a good player, but it was always going to be difficult to break my serve," said Pless.