Content in the knowledge that the devil you know is better than the one you don't, Ireland's men's tennis team got on with the business yesterday of preparing for today's opening shots in the European team championship at the Enka club in Istanbul, suitably pleased with having drawn Slovenia.
The Slovenians, of the other three nations in division one, would have been team manager Peter Wright's choice to play in the opening series before yesterday's draw because of Ireland's shock 3-2 win over them in Davis Cup at Riverview in Dublin last May,
"We are happy with the draw, but more importantly the lads are hitting the ball really well on a hard, medium-pace indoor court that suits them," said Wright.
Austria and hosts Turkey are also involved in a round robin format; one team to be promoted, two to be demoted and one to remain in the group.
US scholarship player Robert Collins, who excelled last time out in the Davis Cup, is bound to be a key player especially following the withdrawal, through injury, of John Doran. Today's two matches starting at 11 a.m. are Ireland v Slovenia and Austria v Turkey. Tomorrow Ireland take on Austria and face Turkey on Sunday.
Each rubber will be the best of three sets with the number two singles (Scott Barron) going on first followed by the number one singles (Owen Casey). The doubles looks a likely decider today against Slovenia and with the teams so evenly balanced this trend could be maintained in all three matches.
Jimmy Connors and Henri Leconte stayed unbeaten in the ATP's Senior Honda Challenge at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, setting the stage for Connors's showdown with John McEnroe.
Connors beat Bjorn Borg 6-3, 46. His match with long-time rival McEnroe will be the first between the two Americans in Britain since Connors beat McEnroe in three sets to win the 1984 Wimbledon title.
Leconte defeated fellow Frenchman Yannick Noah 6-4, 6-4.
