IRELAND'S non-playing tennis, captain Peter Wright, who is head coach at the University of California, is preparing the Irish team for a major assignment in Kenya next week.
The Irish team of Owen Casey, Scott Barron, Eoin Collins and John Doran will be bidding for re-entry to the real world of Davis Cup competition from which Ireland were banished for the first time last season.
But first, the Irish team is obliged to spend next week at the Nairobi club competing in a quasi version of the real thing, a stepping stone and highly concentrated round robin competition between seven of the game's lesser lights. It is officially known as Division Three of the Euro African Zone.
Outright victory is vital if Ireland is to realise the immediate aim of reclaiming a place in division two of the Davis Cup. "The heavy schedule means that, win or lose, we will have to play six matches in seven days," said Wright,
Ireland begin on Monday against Moldova and, following a free day on Tuesday, face Cyprus on Wednesday, Cameroon on Thursday, Zambia on Friday Djibouti on Saturday and Estonia on Sunday.
Wright reckons that the serve-volley game will be crucial in high altitude on shale type courts. "The ball will be travelling a lot faster. The rallies will be short. The premiums will be on returns and serves. The guys who can squeak out a few more returns will win the matches. We have been focusing a lot on returns and the boys are serving well too. Top physical fitness is also a priority with us at the moment.
"It's a long path we have to go down because of so many matches involved. We will have to adjust to the circumstances down there. We will be a foreign country playing at altitude. Sometimes you travel well, sometimes you don't but we all have a very positive outlook."
The team travels tomorrow and will welcome two full days of practice before facing an unknown quantity in Moldova. Tennis Ireland's Brid DoneIon said, however, that the tournament referee has authority to alter the order of play at his discretion.
Meanwhile, severe reprimands, at least, can be expected arising from referee Steve Mehigan's report for a couple of players deemed to have violated the code of conduct during the indoor open championships in Riverview.
