Opinions vary on Davis Cup tie result

Press, 1 March 1982, Page 34

Opinions vary on Davis Cup tie result

• The playing of the Davis j Cup tie between Spain and • New Zealand on a grass ■ surface at Wilding Park next i week-end has not made the : home side over-confident nor i the visitors pessimistic. i The New Zealand captain, A Mr Jeff Robson, discounts J suggestions that the Span- '> iards will be all at sea on : grass. .! "Because of their concentration on clay court play, a lot of press people think the ' Spanish will be hopeless on ; grass,” he said. "But they won’t have travelled to the • other side of the world just f for a fun match.” , The Spanish coach, Mr ■ Edison Mandarino, teased his

hosts about the surface. "It is difficult for us to play on grass; I just hope your players don’t play too well,” he said. Spain’s last Davis Cup tie on grass courts was at Eastbourne three years ago — Britain won, 4-1 — and because the New Zealanders were so accustomed to grass their chances of success would be enhanced, said the visitors’ captain, Mr Manuel Santana. Then he spread his hands expressively. . “But in the Davis Cup, Anything can happen.”. To an extent, Mr Robson shares his view. He said the

Spanish selectors appeared to have gone for good volleyers, and the chosen quartet would not be a “pushover” on grass. "Obviously if they can win their zone in Europe they must be pretty useful,” he said. Mr Santana confirmed that the experienced cup singles man, Fernando Luna, had been left out of his side because he was totally a clay court player. He added that Jose Higueras, formerly No. 1 in Spain, had expressed a preference not to play any more cup tennis and that the renowned Manuel Orantes, who was available, had not been able to reach agree-

ment with the Spanish tennis body over his programme. However, he added, he was pleased to have with him in New Zealand four men who were keen to play in cup tennis, and do well.. Mr Mandarino and three of the players, • Angel Gimenez, Sergio Casal and Juan Aguilera, bumped into Mr Santana by chance in Honolulu. They travelled on to Auckland, where they were joined by the No. 1 singles player, Jose Lopez Maeso, who spent the last three weeks at Harry Hopman’s tennis ranch in Florida. The New Zealanders also assembled in Christchurch at

the week-end. Chris Lewis arrived from Australia with Tony Roche, who will again assist in the preparation of the team, and struck the ball well in an early work-out at Wilding Park. For the last two weeks Lewis has been practising with Ken Rosewall and Roche in Sydney. Mr Robson said Onny Parun’s leg injury appeared to have cleared up and that Jeff Simpson was rid of the chest pains which had resulted from his violent treatment at the hands of Rocky Vazquez in the Air New Zealand Masters in Auckland. Bruce Derlin, David Mus-

tard and David Lewis are also in Christchurch to assist the cup side in its practising, and Mr Robson described the facilities at the venue as "tremendous.” The occurence which made him completely serene was the arrival yesterday afternoon of Russell Simpson, who had been playing in a W.C.T. tournamennt in Genoa. Mr Robson said he would have preferred Simpson not to go because of the closeness of the Italian tourney to the cup tie. But he acknowledged that this was part of Simpson’s life as a tennis professional, and it was an event in which he expected to do well.