Same Davis Cup team

Press, 22 December 1978, Page 20

Same Davis Cup team

PA Wellington New Zealand’s team for this summer’s Davis Cup tennis campaign at Christchurch will be the same as that for the last four years. The New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association yesterday confirmed that the team for the Eastern Zone ties would be Chris Lewis. Brian Fairlie, Onny Parun, and Russell Simpson, with Jeff Robson as the non-playing captain.

The first tie will be against Japan from February 9 to 11 and the final, against Australia or Japan, in midMarch.

Although the team is as expected there is some doubt about the fitness of the players. Lewis on Wednesday withdrew from the New South Wales Open with torn ligaments in a shoulder and could be out of tennis for at least three weeks.

Parun is now starting to get some match play in South Africa after a frustrating 18 months in which his serve was restricted by a neck injury. A Czech sun geon operated on his neck last month and Parun says he is feeling no restriction any more.

Fairlie is also trying to get some match play‘in Australia after a short-lived retirement from the game in August. Simpson confined his activities in 1978 mainly to the American satellite circuits, in which he again performed well. At this stage, there are no plans to attach junior or other players to the team, as was done for the tie against Australia at Adelaide last summer.

Fairlie. Simpson, and Parun are expected to plav in the national championships at Central Park a week before the tie.