page 5
Arthurs ready for Cup service"It's almost limitless as to what he can do," Fitzgerald said, while continuing to hedge over whether Arthurs would partner world No. 1 Todd Woodbridge in the pivotal doubles rubber against Ecuador at Royal King's Park, Perth, on Saturday.
"Wayne is 29, but he's a player that really has a body that is not 29 years old. To me, he's still like a 26-year-old and he's improving very quickly.
"He's starting to believe he's as good as some of us believe."
Arthurs briefly contemplated retirement last season after a horrendous 2-8 start to the year, but has since risen to a career-high ranking of 70th.
Masur said London-based Arthurs was "capable of anything", bearing out the thoughts of Australian Open champion Andre Agassi, who ranks Arthurs' massive serve as one of the most devastating weapons in the game.
Chronic arm injuries and lack of self-belief have stalled Arthurs' advancement, but it now appears the son of Irish Davis Cupper Derek Arthurs is poised to capitalise.
"Even if I don't get to play on Saturday, for someone of my age and at this point in my career, just sitting here around these players is a great start to the year," Arthurs said.
"I've learnt a lot from these guys already and hopefully I can take that into the US summer and have some good results."
With wins over Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin to his credit, Arthurs is probably the most feared server in the world -- and with good reason.
During an unforgettable sequence in 1999, Arthurs held serve for 111 consecutive games at Wimbledon before Agassi, the world's most revered returner, broke through. For good measure, Arthurs then powered through 59 consecutive games at Newport on serve.
If engaged in the doubles on Saturday, Arthurs will be intent on soaring to similar levels in Australian colors.
"I play a similar game on all surfaces, so it doesn't worry me that much," said Hewitt, ranked seventh in the world. "I did it pretty well coming from clay to Rebound Ace. I came here on Friday and I'm starting to hit the ball pretty well.
"I've still got a little bit of time before Friday and I'm hoping to come out with all guns firing."
Already entrenched in the Australian Davis Cup culture, Hewitt is keenly attuned to the squad's 2001 catchcry, "The new charge".
"Davis Cup means an awful lot," Hewitt said. "Growing up watching Pat (Rafter) play, being the orange boy and then being part of the team the last couple of years and then winning it (in 1999).
"Then coming runner-up and being so close in Spain two months ago, there's still that bitter taste in our mouths about that loss to Spain. We're here and we're hopefully going to go one step better this year.
"We know we can't take these guys lightly and we're going to go out there and give it everything we have."
Hewitt has quickly compiled an impressive 10 victories from 14 Davis Cup matches.
Two of those defeats were in live rubbers in finals -- the first against Frenchman Cedric Pioline in Nice and the second against Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in Barcelona. The Ferrero loss allowed Spain to claim its first Davis Cup victory.
No one holds Hewitt accountable, especially in light of his astonishing win over Albert Costa on the first day on a preparation compromised by blocked sinuses, but the right-hander feels responsible.
Hewitt is uninterested in excuses and is intent on ushering Australia into April's quarter-finals against either Morocco or Brazil.
"Playing Davis Cup and being involved with these guys is a dream come true," Hewitt said.
"I give 100 per cent every time I step on a tennis court, but with Davis Cup there's that little bit extra.
"My hamstring has come along very well after the Australian Open, I had a week and a half off and tried to relax and put my feet up. Getting back on the grass and working with the boys, I felt like I was back at home on grass."
Increasingly under scrutiny, Hewitt is confident of reprising the form which propelled him to straight-sets wins over David Wheaton, former Wimbledon finalists Goran Ivanisevic and Pioline as well as seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras on grass at Queen's Club in July.
Immune to the pressures and expectations of the public and media, Hewitt said he had "no problem blocking it out" despite the harassment last week of a television crew sitting outside his home in Adelaide.
"Being in the public eye the whole time, you feel there are times you want to get out of it," Hewitt said.
"So far, I've been able to block it out and I think
I've handled it pretty well."
As much as Rafter would prefer the health issue to die an instant death, the probable cause of his leg-muscle seizures has been identified.
Rafter went down with cramp in humid conditions during last month's Australian Open loss to Andre Agassi, and inadequate replacement of his sodium stores - depleted by the Queenslander's heavy sweating and resulting electrolyte losses - seems to be the cause.
Davis Cup trainer Mark Waters, who has also worked personally with Rafter during the past three years, said yesterday that up to three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt would be added to Rafter's drink several hours before he played Ecuador's No1 Nicolas Lapentti. The dose would be repeated for post-match recovery purposes.
Despite the combination of Perth's dry heat, and grass being a cooler surface than Melbourne Park's heat-absorbent Rebound Ace, other anti-dehydration measures will be put in place.
They include regular weight monitoring to determine hydration levels and varying the flavours of Rafter's courtside drinks to stimulate his palate and encourage the necessary six to eight gulps of fluid at each change-of-ends.
New captain John Fitzgerald and coach Wally Masur will also be stressing Rafter takes a calmer and more relaxed attitude towards the competition he covets most.
The world No11 suffered from arm and wrist cramps after watching teammate Lleyton Hewitt's tense opening singles match in the Davis Cup final in Barcelona.
One expert estimated he had played the emotional equivalent of 1 sets before even starting his warm-up against Juan Carlos Ferrero on indoor Spanish clay.
Rafter, who had dedicated his year to Australia's cup defence, retired during the fourth set to save himself for a reverse singles match that was not required once Spain took an unassailable 3-1 lead.
The Australian and Ecuador teams practised for at least two hours yesterday in comparatively mild Perth weather that is forecast to heat up over the next few days, and today's draw will determine whether Rafter and Nicolas Lapentti lead off the tie, or if they will follow world No6 Hewitt against either Luis Morejon or Lapentti's 18-year-old brother Giovanni.
Bob McCarthy, a member of Harry Hopman's 1946-47 Davis Cup squad, has died after a long illness, reports AAP. He was 76.
McCarthy's career spanned five decades, and it was on the International Tennis Federation's veterans tour that he achieved his highest honours, winning seven world age singles titles.
He also won five doubles world championships and five teams
events for Australia.
Patrick Rafter will seriously consider extending his tennis career if Australia's Davis Cup campaign fails this year.
The dual US Open champion will review his plans to retire if the team, led by new captain John Fitzgerald and coach Wally Masur, does not deliver the trophy that has eluded him during a seven-year career for Australia.
Rafter would like to leave the game at the end of 2001 as part of a Davis Cup-winning team, having missed its finals triumph over France in 1999 with injury.
Speaking before this weekend's first-round cup tie against Ecuador at Royal Kings Park, Rafter said one of the reasons why he had been vague about his plans to retire had been his desire to win the Davis Cup.
The 28-year-old said one of the first things he put on his calendar each year was his Davis Cup commitments, along with the grand slam tournaments.
"It will be hard to walk away without saying I won the Davis Cup and that has been one of the reasons why I haven't totally committed myself to retiring," Rafter said.
"It is something I feel passionate about and it has never crossed my mind to pull out even when there are niggling injuries."
He said he would not do the same for other tournaments.
Rafter will take a break at the end of the year to sit back and evaluate what he has achieved. If he misses the game, he will be back depending on fitness and a shoulder injury that has plagued the latter part of his career.
He admitted that his fitness was not at the same level as two years ago when he won his last US Open title, but denied that his physical problems at the recent Australian Open had anything to do with that.
In fact, Rafter took exception to the suggestion during a tension-filled news conference.
Masur fired a shot of his own, criticising Ecuadorian No.1 Nicolas Lapentti for his comments about Lleyton Hewitt's on-court behavior.
Lapentti, a former world No.8, said he disapproved of Hewitt's expressive on-court behavior.
"I hear a lot of what guys say about Lleyton," Masur said. "They should just look at their own house.
"If they want to play Lleyton, just go out play him and play him hard and deal with it on the court.
"They all whine off the court, it's no good."
Hewitt, who faced similar criticism from Spanish star Alex Corretja before last year's Davis Cup final, said he had no plans to curtail his behavior.
"There is a lot of talk about it (his fist-pumping and yelling), but it is for me and there are times I need to do it," the 19-year-old said.
"It has nothing to do with my opponent and I don't do it for the crowds - I do it when I need a lift."
It was left up to Australia's veteran doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge to focus the attention on the tie, which starts on Friday, and the dangers of playing against a team with mostly unknown players.
"People in Australia are not that familiar with the Lapentti brothers, but they beat Britain on grass the week after Wimbledon last year, which says something about the quality of their players," Woodbridge said.
"They beat Tim Henman (ranked No.10 in the world) and Greg Rusedski (ranked 48) and we know they're a class team."
He pointed out that Australia had lost a tie against Zimbabwe at home on grass in Mildura in 1998 and had learnt to respect every opponent.
- WEST AUSTRALIAN
Ecuador revels in underdog status
It is a long way from home, but Ecuador will start this week's Davis Cup tie against Australia at Royal Kings Park in familiar territory.
The Ecuadorians are rank outsiders against last year's losing finalist but that is exactly how their captain Raul Antonio Viver likes it.
Brothers Nicolas and Giovanni Lapentti, Luis Morejon and Jhony Deleon make up Ecuador's squad for the cup first-round tie starting on Friday.
World No.22 Nicolas Lapentti, who has a healthy 37-16 Davis Cup record, will play singles and will partner his younger brother in the doubles.
Viver has not decided on the second singles player, but it is likely to be 18-year-old Giovanni Lapentti or 27-year-old Luis Morejon. Lapentti has a 4-3 Davis Cup record with Morejon sitting at 16-18. Deleon is untried at Davis Cup level.
Whichever combination takes the court will face an uphill battle against world No.6 Lleyton Hewitt, two-time US Open champion Pat Rafter, grasscourt specialist Wayne Arthurs and world No.1 doubles player Todd Woodbridge.
But the Ecuadorians emerged triumphant when faced with a similar challenge against Britain, spearheaded by Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski, at Wimbledon last July.
Ecuador won the tie 3-2 to qualify in the cup's world group for the first time since 1986.
"I think we are in a similar situation to when we played Britain last year," Viver said yesterday.
"That time, nobody expected us to win and it was probably the highlight of the year for sport in Ecuador.
"That was big for us to come back into the world group after 14 years and the way it happened was unbelievable."
Viver said Australia deserved to start the tie as favorite.
"They have a great team. They were in the final of the Davis Cup last year and I'm sure if it had been played in Australia, they probably would have won the final. That's why they are seeded No.1 and at home they are probably the best team in the world.
"But that takes a little bit of the pressure away from us and we are working hard to do the best we can."
Viver is in a good position to speak with authority on his team's chances, having represented Ecuador from 1979-90 in the Davis Cup.
The 39-year-old had a respectable 15-13 record (14-11 in singles and 1-2 in doubles) and teamed with Andres Gomez and Ricardo Ycaza in the only Ecuadorian team to play in the world group in 1984, 1985 and 1986.
The best finish that trio managed was qualifying for the quarter-finals and Viver said the present line-up was out to improve on that effort.
"In Davis Cup, you never know what is going to happen and that's our mentality ... we came here early to work on the grass and we are practising hard.
"We want to be well prepared for Friday and in the best shape possible."
Viver will wait until Thursday's draw before deciding on Ecuador's team but said it was unlikely that 17-year-old Deleon would play.
"Nicolas will play singles for sure and the doubles will be Nicolas and Giovanni," Viver said.
"Deleon is our No.4 player and he is here to get experience and to have a chance to work with our best players and improve his game for the future."
Viver said Nicolas Lapentti was Ecuador's trump card but his younger brother was fast developing into a world-class player.
"Since I started as Davis Cup captain in 1994, Nicolas has had an outstanding record in both singles and doubles for us.
"He is definitely the base of our team ... But I think Giovanni has all the tools to do well ... the strokes and the physical tools to be a top player."
- West Australian
Indeed, the younger Lapentti was soon responsible for one of the greatest upsets of last year when he defeated Britain's Arvind Parmar after losing the first two sets in the fifth rubber of the Davis Cup qualifying round at Wimbledon.
Giovanni was a junior who had barely seen a grass court in his 17 clay-based years. Ecuador rejoiced.
Eight months later, the Lapentti brothers face an even more daunting challenge, which Australia will issue over the next three days at Royal Kings Park in Perth.
This is the world group. The big time. Nicolas, a baseliner, leads off against Wimbledon finalist and noted serve-volleyer Pat Rafter.
The 193cm Giovanni, with a big serve but an entry system ranking of 927th and an under-age loss as his last outing, follows against world No 7 Lleyton Hewitt. Talent is not all that will be needed.
"I'm not nervous; I'm motivated," Giovanni insisted after yesterday's draw, which confirmed he would also play doubles with his brother against Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs in John Fitzgerald's first tie as captain.
"I like to play Davis Cup, I think I have experience in Davis Cup and I think I have a good chance.
"This was like a family dream, the two brothers playing Davis Cup together.
"I think it came really fast. I didn't expect it to be this year; thought I was going to be a little bit older when it happened, but I guess it's going on now and we just have to take advantage of it and enjoy it."
The order of play will avert any chance of Rafter tightening up beforehand while watching Hewitt, although the Queenslander said he would have avoided looking on anyway to minimise his chances of a repeat of his cramping in last year's final in Spain.
In his first match since seizing up in the Australian Open semi- final, Rafter will drink a special salt concoction at breakfast and be on court before the sun is at its highest and the Fremantle Doctor at its stiffest.
He has the sympathy of his opponent, but there is little expectation from either camp that on grass, in low humidity, the cramps will return.
Rafter expects Lapentti, who would have been favourite on clay, to take a few risks today.
"I expect Nicolas to be quite aggressive to start off with, and it's probably not necessarily his great strength, so I'll be expecting him to throw everything at me, and if it works well, he'll probably continue that," he said.
"But if it doesn't, he'll probably go back to a game that he feels more comfortable with and that's playing from the baseline. I'm ready for pretty well anything he throws at me, and I'm going to make him play the best tennis that he's got to beat me on this surface.
"I'm pretty confident that I can go with him, and hopefully win."
Perth's first Davis Cup tie since 1991 is also Ecuador's first in the world group since Gomez was the spearhead back in 1986.
In South America, grass is for soccer, or cows, but the elder Lapentti is an accomplished player, a 1999 Australian Open semi-finalist ranked sixth in the world less than two years ago. He also boasts a 25-7 Davis Cup singles record, albeit in zonal play.
We should also remember that he did beat Greg Rusedski on the first day of the famous tie at Wimbledon and teamed with Giovanni to stun Rusedski and Tim Henman in straight sets in the doubles.
Yet the Ecuadorians acknowledge Australia's clear favouritism and the fact that an upset here would be bigger news still.
"[Rafter's] got the advantage for sure," he said. "On the paper he's the favourite, but in Davis Cup you never know.
"There's a lot of different things going on, pressure, playing for your country, and I like my chances.
"Before we played England, even in the team we thought there is maybe no way we can beat them, and then on the court we did it, so now we believe in ourselves and that's a good sign.
"We're not the favourites but we're here to give a hard time to Australia."
|
|
| PERTH, 8 February - Both teams know
who's expected to win this Davis Cup first round clash. But if you believe the players, neither Australia's overwhelming favoritism nor Ecuador's underdog status will come into play this weekend at Royal Kings Park. "All four players have been practicing extremely well," said new Australian captain John Fitzgerald after Thursday's draw, conducted at the Burswood International Resort. "On paper, we've got a strong team. They've got a lot of experience behind them." "But the Lapentti brothers are dangerous players, and we'll be going in tomorrow ready for battle." Recent Australian Open semifinalist Patrick Rafter opens the home side's quest for a third successive finals appearance as he takes on Ecuadorian No.1 Nicolas Lapentti in the first match of the tie on Friday, at 11am. "I expect him to be aggressive, even though it's not his natural game," said Rafter. "I'm going to make him play the best tennis he's got." "He's got the advantage for sure. On paper, he's the favorite, but Davis Cup is different. I like my chances," said Nicolas Lapentti, the older of the two Lapentti brothers, who will lead their country in its first World Group appearance since 1986. The duo gains inspiration from its stirring win over Great Britain last year, to gain inclusion in this year's elite 16-nation competition. "On grass at Wimbledon against Britain, nobody expected us to win, even in Ecuador. We don't have to fear the grass. We believe in ourselves," said Nicolas, who hasn't beaten Rafter in their two previous encounters. "I have to serve well, just do the basics on grass. Most important is going to be my return. I'll have to hit some good passing shots," he added. It was Giovanni, who is still young enough to play junior events, who clinched Ecuador's World Group berth, recovering from a two-set deficit to win the deciding rubber of their qualifying round against Great Britain. The 18-year-old is looking forward to his clash with world No.6 Lleyton Hewitt, in the second match on Friday. "I'm not nervous, I'm motivated. I like Davis Cup, I've had some experience, and I have a good chance," Giovanni said. "I've never seen him play at all. I'll go out there and play my game," said Hewitt, who reached the US Open semifinals for the first time last year. While brother-brother combinations are nothing new to the Davis Cup competition, but for Nicolas and Giovanni, it's a momentous occasion. "This was a family dream, playing together for our country. It came really fast. I didn't expect to be playing so soon." While the Aussies will go into this clash with confidence, they'll also be wary of taking these two strapping young men too lightly. |
Rafter to lead way
By PATRICK MILES
09 February 01
(FoxSports.com.au--The Australian)
THERE is no danger of Pat Rafter winding himself up into a ball of anxiety
watching Lleyton Hewitt in a Davis Cup singles rubber today because the
28-year-old is up first for Australia.
Rafter will begin the quest to regain the trophy and add his name to it with
a match against 24-year-old Nicolas Lapentti, Ecuador's No.1 player, on grass
at Royal King's Park in Perth.
In an all-Lapentti affair for the visitors, Hewitt's opponent will be
Giovanni, the bigger and younger of the two brothers, who were also both
selected for tomorrow's doubles against Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs.
The last Davis Cup outing for Australia was in Barcelona in December, when
Spain became champions for the first time.
On the first day, Rafter watched on television from the dressing-room as his
19-year-old team-mate came from behind to beat Albert Costa in five sets.
By the time Hewitt had achieved his remarkable victory, Rafter was strung as
tight as his racquet and subsequently succumbed to cramp in the fourth set
against Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The cramp struck again at a humid Melbourne Park when he had Andre Agassi on
the ropes in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Today, Rafter can watch Hewitt in the knowledge that his own first day's work
is done _ win or lose.
"It is a good thing _ I don't think I would have watched it anyway,"
Rafter
said after yesterday's draw.
"But I've never found playing first or second a problem. I've won and lost
in
both positions so I don't put any relevance on it at all."
Rafter is anticipating that Nicolas Lapentti, ranked at No.25 in the world,
will attack immediately on a surface largely unfamiliar to him.
"I expect Nicolas to be quite aggressive to start off with, and it's
probably
not necessarily his great strength," Rafter said.
"I'll be expecting him to throw everything at me and if it works well,
he'll
continue that.
But if it doesn't, then he'll go back to a game he feels more comfortable
with and that's playing from the baseline.
"I'm ready for pretty well anything he throws at me and I feel like I'm
hitting the ball pretty well. I'm going to make him play the best tennis he's
got to beat me on this surface. And if he can do that, then he'll be too good
on the day.
"But I'm pretty confident that I can go with him and hopefully win."
Ecuador is on the verge of the biggest breakthrough in its tennis history,
having reached the World Group for the first time since 1986 and been drawn
against the 1999 champion and 2000 runner-up.
To reach this stage, the brothers combined successfully in the awe-inspiring
environs of Wimbledon last year and Britain were left lamenting by the
Lapenttis.
Luis Morejon played singles on the opening day in that tie but, for the
moment, has been left out of the reckoning by his captain, Paul Antonio
Viver, who decided yesterday to rely solely on the Lapenttis.
Australian captain John Fitzgerald was not surprised that Viver's other
selection for the singles was the 18-year-old Giovanni, who lost in the first
round of the juniors at last month's Australian Open.
"I thought it was possibly a line-ball decision to pick their No.2 player,
but Giovanni proved it in England," Fitzgerald said.
"He came through in a pressure situation. He was down two sets to love and
won the deciding match, so he's a player who has obviously come a long way in
the last year or so.
"He's got a good serve, he's a big, strong kid and he's a dangerous player.
I'm not surprised that he was picked to play singles."
Hewitt, who boasts a record of 10 wins and four losses in the Davis Cup, is
unconcerned by facing the unknown, Giovanni, who has a singles ranking of
No.927.
"I've never seen him play at all so I'm going out there with the attitude
to
just play my game," Hewitt said.
"Hopefully, it matches up well.
"As the match gets on, probably halfway through the first set, I'll be able
to sum up his game pretty well and work on where I think I'm going to win the
match."
However Rafter's match transpires, it is unlikely to alter Hewitt's attitude
in the following rubber.
The teenager feeds off tension.
END--http://www.foxsports.com.au/
Rafter faces test of skill and stamina
08 February 2001
By Sports.com's CHRIS HARRIS
Pat Rafter faces a test of stamina as well as skill when he opens Australia's
Davis Cup campaign against Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador on Friday.
Rafter was hampered by cramp and forced to retire against Juan Carlos Ferrero
during the Davis Cup final in December, and his fitness has been under
intense scrutiny since the same problem struck as he led Andre Agassi in
their Australian Open semi-final last month.
Another attack in Melbourne could accelerate Rafter's intention to retire
from the sport, but for now the popular Aussie is confident his
injury-stricken days are behind him.
After persistent problems with his shoulder, an injury which limited his
appearances in 2000, and now cramp, Rafter was understandably keen to focus
on the challenge of Lapentti rather than the treatment table.
Extra spice was added to Australia's World Group clash with Ecuador after
Lapentti criticised Rafter's team-mate Lleyton Hewitt for his fist-pumping
histrionics on court.
The draw has kept Hewitt and Lapentti apart, but Ecuador's figurehead faces
an equally stern challenge against the serve-and-volley game of Rafter, who
thrives on the grass courts of Melbourne.
Lapentti's strategy
Discussing Lapentti's strategy to counteract this, Rafter said: "I expect
Nicolas to be quite aggressive to start off with."
"It's not necessarily his great strength, so I'll expect him to throw
everything at me and if it works well he'll probably continue that.
"If it doesn't he'll probably go back to a game that he feels more
comfortable with and that's probably playing from the baseline."
Having steered Ecuador to victory against Britain on grass last year,
Lapentti is certain to pose a threat, but that triumph followed a fortnight
of tennis on the same surface.
This time, Ecuador's team arrive in Melbourne with little time to
acclimatise. Lapentti's best chance of victory may yet be Rafter's
susceptibility to cramp, but the Australian's opponent was keen to play down
Rafter's injury worries.
"It's not a problem that Pat has inside of him, it's just happened twice,
in
two key matches for him," said Lappentti.
"I really feel sorry for him because they were two matches he really
wanted,
but we know the energy Pat has in his body, especially on grass where you
won't see that many long rallies."
Defy rankings
Lapentti's younger brother, Giovanni, will strive to defy the world rankings
when he faces Hewitt, the world No.7, in Friday's second singles match.
Giovanni, ranked a lowly 927, joined forces with his brother to beat Tim
Henman and Arvind Parmar in last year's World Group play-off and then won the
deciding singles rubber after trailing two sets to one.
He faces a tougher assignment against Hewitt in Melbourne, but Australian
captain John Fitzgerald is wary of his ability to spring a surprise.
"Giovanni proved in England he came through in a pressure situation, down
two
sets to one, and won a deciding match.
"He's come a long way, he's got a good serve, is a big strong kid and he's
a
dangerous player so I'm not surprised he was picked to play singles."
The Lapentti brothers will resume their doubles partnership on Saturday
against Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs, before the final singles matches
are played on Sunday.
If Ecuador are still in contention by then, they will have achieved far more
than most observers are predicting.
END--http://sl.sports.com/tennis/news/2001/02/08/
Draw Australia vs. Ecuador
Perth, Feb. 8 (NEC Davis Cup Site)
It has been 15 years that Ecuador played in the prestigious World Group of
the Davis Cup by NEC. The South American nation reached the World Group with
a stunning victory over Great Britain on grass at Wimbledon last July, but
now they have the ominous task of trying to overcome one of the great Davis
Cup nations of all time, Australia, in the first round.
It is the first time these two countries have met in the Davis Cup competition
Both teams declared that the first rubber in the best of five series, will be
the crucial one as Pat Rafter faces Nicolas Lapentti. Lleyton Hewitt then
takes on the younger Lapentti, Giovanni who featured so strongly in that tie
at Wimbledon. The doubles rubber has Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge
against the Lapentti brothers with the reverse singles in the third day being
Hewitt against Nicolas first and then Giovanni against Rafter.
"It's going to be a tough match because he is a very good player, we all
know
that and he is capable of beating anyone, really on any surface as well,"
said Rafter, "but it (the grass court) is probably in my favour though,
these
conditions, and I know I am playing well, so I am just going to go out there
and concentrate on my game and he is going to have to play very well to beat
me."
Nicolas Lapentti commented that it is a bit strange playing Rafter in his
position as the second player for Australia. The Ecuadorian said that one
normally sees that as the "best hope, but the fact that he is playing
Rafter,
who he regards as one of the best players in the world, "makes it a bit
special".
"I have played Pat before and I have never beaten him, he has that edge,
that
advantage, but I am playing well and I feel good and I like my chances,"
said
Lapentti. "The last few days I am hitting the ball well and that's
important.
On grass you don't need to think too much, you just need to be hitting the
ball well, serve well and then get your chances."
However movement on the surface is crucial and in that situation Rafter is
more adept at it. The Ecuadorians arrived in Perth early to get used to the
court and they feel they have done all the work they can.
The tie is an interesting one for another reason because it is the first one
with John Fitzgerald as the new captain and Wally Masur as the new team
coach. For both it is a little bit of a nervous time but also an exciting
challenge.
"It is a big moment in my life - Davis Cup has always been a treasured part
of my career and to actually be in charge of this team is a great honour for
me," said Fitzgerald. "I am delighted. The boys have applied
themselves as
you would expect and they have been tremendous and are in good form.
"The boys are hungry and confident but it's dangerous to be over confident
and they are certainly not that. They are aware of the class of the
Ecuadorian team."
Fitzgerald believes he will be more reserved as a captain compared to when he
played Davis Cup and became "quite excitable, but they were true
emotions".
Raul Viver, the captain of Ecuador, said it will be very important for his
side to start off well and they will gain much solace in the fact that they
qualified for the World Group by having to win on grass.
"Davis Cup is part of my life and I started playing Davis Cup when I was 17
and now I am going to be 40," said Viver. "All the guys in the team
feel the
same about Davis Cup, they are very proud to represent Ecuador and they
always try their best and most of the time they play their best tennis for
Ecuador."
END--http://www.daviscup.org/daviscup.htm
Rafter faces Lapentti - and fitness test
PERTH, Australia, February 8 (Reuters) - Patrick Rafter will face a test of
his fitness against Nicolas Lapentti in the opening match of Australia's
Davis Cup first round tie against Ecuador on Friday.
Rafter's health has been under scrutiny since cramps forced him to retire
from Australia's Davis Cup final loss to Spain in December, and then cost him
any chance of beating Andre Agassi in a five-set semifinal at last month's
Australian Open.
But the two-time U.S. Open champion insisted he was over the problem and
ready to take on the Ecuadorian number one in Friday's opening rubber, played
on grass.
Reluctant to talk about his cramping, Rafter said the pressure was on
Lapentti to counter his serve-and-volley game.
"I expect Nicolas to be quite aggressive to start off with," Rafter
said.
"It's not necessarily his great strength, so I'll expect him to throw
everything at me and if it works well he'll probably continue that.
"If it doesn't he'll probably go back to a game that he feels more
comfortable with and that's probably playing from the baseline."
Lapentti was also keen to play down the Australian's injury worries.
"It's not a problem that Pat has inside of him, it's just happened twice,
in
two key matches for him," Lappentti said.
"I really feel sorry for him because they were two matches he really
wanted,
but we know the energy Pat has in his body, especially on grass where you
won't see that many long rallies."
Australia's highest ranked player, world number seven Lleyton Hewitt, will
take on Lapentti's younger brother Giovanni, ranked 927, in Friday's second
singles.
Giovanni, who won the deciding singles in the play-off against Britain last
year, was selected ahead of the more experienced Louis Morejon and Australian
captain John Fitzgerald said his players risked defeat if they underestimated
him.
"I thought it was possibly a line ball decision to pick their number two
player," Fitzgerald said.
"But Giovanni proved in England he came through in a pressure situation,
down
two sets to one, and won a deciding match.
"He's come a long way, he's got a good serve, is a big strong kid and he's
a
dangerous player so I'm not surprised he was picked to play singles."
The two brothers will team up on Saturday to face the left hand-right hand
combination of Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs in the doubles with the
reverse singles to be played on Sunday.
Ecuador made the World Group for the first time by defeating Britain 3-2 at
Wimbledon last year. The winner of the best-of-five tie with Australia will
play either Brazil or Morocco in the second round in April.
03:13 02-08-01
Rafter and Lapentti in dream first round match up.
By Andrew Hamilton (SportsToday)
PERTH, Feb 8 AAP - They're mates off the court, their countries' best players
of the past decade and share striking good looks that make them a promoter's
dream.
When British match referee John Frame drew Patrick Rafter to meet Nicolas
Lapentti in the opening singles rubber tomorrow, he ensured a dream start for
the first round Davis Cup tie between Ecuador and Australia.
The pair have an obvious bond and have been spotted sharing a joke together
at the practice courts at Royal Kings Park this week, but all that will be
put aside tomorrow.
The pressure on both men is immense, Rafter has faced a week of speculation
about his fitness due to his much publicised problems with cramp while
Lapentti, as he has done for the past five years, will carry Ecuador's hopes
on his shoulders.
The dual US Open winner today buried any lingering doubts about the cramps by
declaring he was fighting fit and that Lapentti would need to be at his
absolute best to beat him.
He predicted Lapentti would charge the net in an attempt to throw him off
guard and said he could not afford to allow the Ecuadorian to dictate the
tempo of the match.
"I expect Nicolas to be quite aggressive to start off with," he said.
"It's not necessarily his great strength, so I'll expect him to throw
everything at me and if it works well he'll probably continue that.
"If it doesn't he'll probably go back to a game that he feels more
comfortable with and that's probably playing from the baseline."
Lapentti believed he could beat the local favourite, but said his serve and
return of serve would have to be at it's best to minimise Rafter's serve and
volley game.
But he was not going to concede Rafter any underdog status, cramps or no
cramps.
"It's not a problem that Pat has inside of him, it's just happened twice,
in
two key matches for him," he said.
"I really feel sorry for him because they were two matches he really
wanted,
but we know the energy Pat has in his body, especially on grass where you
won't see that many long rallies.
"It won't be part of the game."
In the second opening day singles match Lleyton Hewitt, the local No.1,
should be too strong for Lapentti's younger brother Giovanni, 18, who has a
world ranking of 927.
However, Australian coach John Fitzgerald said he wasn't surprised Lapentti
was elevated above the more experienced Louis Morejon into the singles
position and Australia could not afford to take him lightly.
"I thought it was possibly a line ball decision to pick their number two
player," he said.
"But Giovanni proved in England he came through in a pressure situation,
down
two sets to one, and won a deciding match.
"He's come a long way, he's got a good serve, is a big strong kid and he's
a
dangerous player.
"So I'm not surprised he was picked to play singles."
As expected the left hand-right hand pairing of Todd Woodbridge, the world's
No.1 ranked doubles player, and big serving Wayne Arthurs will pair up for
the doubles while the Ecuadorians have pinned their hopes on the Lapenttis.
END--AAP agh/bar
Fitz happy with debut jitters
By PATRICK MILES
08 February 01
FoxSports.com.au-The Australian
A TOUCH of trepidation before his first tie is an essential ingredient for
Australia's new Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald as he approaches this
weekend's first-round encounter with Ecuador.
Fitzgerald, who played in 23 ties for his country over 10 years, acknowledged
he was nervous ahead of his assignment, which begins in Perth tomorrow with
the opening two singles matches.
"I would like to think it would be like that for every tie,"
Fitzgerald said.
"It is like another lifetime ago now but when I was playing I remember if
you
didn't get a little bit uptight before a big match, then maybe you had a
little bit more to worry about.
"I think it's important to have a little bit of adrenalin going and then
you
are ready for the occasion."
Along with coach Wally Masur, Fitzgerald yesterday presided over a practice
session for his team of Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne
Arthurs.
Australia's opponents, spearheaded by Nicolas Lapentti, also tuned up on
grass at Royal King's Park in preparation for their first appearance in the
World Group since 1986.
While Ecuador, who are expected to field the younger Lapentti brother,
Giovanni, and Luis Morejon in a three-man team, find themselves in exalted
company, the host captain and coach are also on unfamiliar territory.
"It's a new experience for us, it's a learning curve and we are looking
forward to it with relish," Fitzgerald said.
"To have the support of players of this calibre is certainly heart-warming.
To have players who want to play, and they are this good and they have this
much potential, it's a nice position to be in.
"I think as time goes on we will adapt and I don't think either Wally or
myself have underestimated the responsibility here. It's quite a sobering
responsibility, but one we look forward to, very much so."
The draw for the tie will be held today and the only revelations will be the
identity of Ecuador's second singles players and the order of tomorrow's two
matches.
As Australia's No.2, Rafter will face Nicolas Lapentti while Hewitt will meet
either Morejon or Giovanni Lapentti.
Although Australia's quartet is already in place, Fitzgerald has options for
Saturday's doubles match. The most logical choices to play the Lapentti
brothers would be Woodbridge and Arthurs but Hewitt or Rafter could also
receive the call.
Among the four, Arthurs is the only player not to have won a grand slam
doubles title and Fitzgerald is relaxed about the doubles decision.
"I have a fair idea but I don't think it's necessary for us to put our
feelings forward yet because we do have about four or five options in
doubles," he said.
"We have four world-class doubles players and there are a few combinations
we
could use.
"It depends a little bit on the first day's results and there is no point
in
absolutely committing before you need to in the doubles situation."
For Woodbridge, who is the most likely to start on Saturday, this tie
represents a return to Davis Cup after an absence of more than a year since
he helped win the trophy in 1999.
"My last match was in the final in Nice so I have some good, strong
memories
of that," he said.
"At the end of your career, or when you retire from tennis, Davis Cup
matches
are the ones that you remember."
* Australian Davis Cup player Bob McCarthy died yesterday after a long battle
with illness.
McCarthy, 76, was a member of Harry Hopman's 1946-47 Davis Cup squad. He was
still winning world championships well into his career that spanned five
decades.
Australia looking to give Rafter perfect send off
PERTH, Australia, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Pat Rafter's bid to win the prize he
cherishes above all others begins in earnest on Friday when Australia host
Ecuador in the first round of the Davis Cup.
Rafter has two U.S. Open titles to his credit and was a finalist at Wimbledon
last year but says he is desperate to win a Davis Cup before he retires,
probably at the end of the year.
"I'd trade one of my U.S. titles for it," Rafter said. "It means
that much to
me."
Rafter missed Australia's 1999 Davis Cup final win over France because of a
shoulder injury and had to retire during his first match in last year's final
with Spain because of cramp.
His bid to win a first Australian Open last month was also scuttled by cramp
when his legs seized up while he was leading eventual champion Andre Agassi
two sets to one in the semifinals.
But Rafter insists he is now over the problem and ready to produce his best
against Ecuador, who made the World Group for the first time by defeating
Britain 3-2 at Wimbledon last year.
Teenager Lleyton Hewitt is also fit again after his heavy schedule caught up
with him at the Australian Open.
But he has spent the run-up up to the tie defending his on-court antics after
being criticised by Ecuadorian number one Nicolas Lapentti.
Hewitt's fist-pumping displays of emotion and references to the movie Rocky
during his matches have upset his opponents but Australia's new coach Wally
Masur told Lapentti to stop complaining about them.
"I hear a lot of this, guys saying things about Lleyton. They all whine off
court," Masur said.
"If they want to play Lleyton just go out play him, play him hard and deal
with it on the court."
Australia have arguably the strongest line-up of any nation in the World
Group this year and will start as red-hot favourites to best Ecuador and
advance to a second-round meeting with either Brazil or Morocco.
Ecuador will be pinning their hopes on the Lapentti brothers Nicolas and
Giovanni, who upset Britain but their task is tougher against Australia..
Even though Mark Philippoussis, the hero of the 1999 World Cup, is
unavailable because of injury, Australia have plenty of depth with the likes
of Andrew Ilie and Wayne Arthurs in singles and Todd Woodbridge and Sandon
Stolle in doubles.
The tie is also the start of a new era in Australian tennis with Masur and
John Fitzgerald taking over the reins from John Newcombe and Tony Roche.
"We've inherited a class team," Masur said.
"We've sort of come along just as custodians, they're showing us the way as
much as we're showing them the way."
RAFTER DEFENDED BY MASUR
Perth, Australia, Feb 6 - Rafter is a pro says Masur
With Perth's weather during the Davis Cup tie with Ecuador expected to be up to
the mid-30's degrees Celsius (mid-90's degrees Fahrenheit), there has been much
speculation about how key player Patrick Rafter will handle conditions.
Problems with cramp cost him dearly in the Davis Cup final against Spain in
December and his Australian Open semi-final against Andre Agassi last month.
But an unusually impatient Rafter said enough had been said about the issue and
he just wanted to concentrate on the tie.
"I'm not quite sure of the whole idea of this interview, guys," he
said, testily.
"I thought we were here to talk about Davis Cup."
Newly-appointed Cup captain John Fitzgerald came to the rescue, saying he was
confident Rafter was on top of the problem.
"It is fair to say there has been a small problem there," he said.
"It has not occurred very often, but it did occur in Melbourne.
"But Pat is incredibly professional and if there's a way to get on top of
it, he will find it. I think he is almost there and he has a good history of
learning how to replace the amount of electrolytes and fluids that he loses.
"It is a legitimate question because of the heat, but I think the dry
conditions (of the type expected in Perth) make a difference."
Rafter reiterated medical opinion that his level of fitness was not a factor in
his cramping during the loss to Agassi, but admitted he was not as fit as he was
when he won his second US Open against countryman Mark Philippoussis.
"I'm probably not as fit as I was in 1998, but it's not the problem,"
he said.
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