Niland: Ready for the Davis Cup

WIMBLEDON DIGEST:CONOR NILAND will lead Ireland's Davis Cup challenge against Tunisia next month. The Europe/Africa Zone Group II match will take place at David Lloyd Riverview from July 8th-10th.

Niland, who played in the first round at Wimbledon this year, joins James McGee, Barry King and James Cluskey. Ireland lost 3-2 to Luxemburg in March and need to beat Tunisia to avoid relegation from the Group.

“This team has the experience and passion to win this tie,” said non playing captain Gary Cahill. “All of the players are members of the National Tennis Academy and train together on a regular basis in Dublin City University.”

Tunisia’s best player on the ATP Tour is Jazin Malek ranked 293 in the world, while Niland is 181 and McGee 567.

Wozniacki ages: Her teenage idol

THE WORLD number one Caroline Wozniacki certainly knows how to make a press room feel old. When asked yesterday what player she watched when she was growing up, the Danish player said that Martina Hingis was her idol. Hingis reached the quarterfinal of the Australian Open just four seasons ago in 2007. For that tournament Wozniacki would have been 16-years-old, or, a year older than Hingis was when she won her first professional tournament in Hamburg in 1995.

A Royal pain: Lack of curtesy

YOU MAY have noticed that the players no longer curtsey to members of the Royal family on entering or leaving the Centre Court. That’s because it was discontinued in 2003 in accordance with the wishes of HRH The Duke of Kent, who is the president of the club.

The only exception to the rule is if HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales are in attendance. That doesn’t make for much curtseying as The Queen arrived last year, the first time since 1977.