Grass the only fault for Davis Cup Danes

Press, 26 February 1983, Page 64

Grass the only fault for Davis Cup Danes

By

JOHN BROOKS

If physique counts for anything. the Danish tennis players will more than make

up for their lack of familiarity with grass surfaces when they oppose New Zealand in the Davis Cup tie at Wilding Park next week- end. All four • players in the Danish squad walked tall when they arrived in Christchurch from Melbourne last evening. The non-playing captain. Carl-Edvard Hedlund, reported that team morale was high too. Each member of the quartet is well over 1.8 metres (six feet) in height and their relaxed gait suggested that they will be able to serve severely and move quickly to the net for a telling volley. The big problem, said Mr Hedlund, was the players unfamiliarity with grass. As juniors, most of them had played at Wimbledon but they were predominantly clay-court players. But they were not approaching the Christchurch encounter with an inferiority complex. They realised that conditions were vastly different but they had the same feelings before playing Hungary in Budapest in the European zone final last year. “Winning that one gave us confidence. In tennis, one

must remember that the ball is round." said Mr Hedlund. Michael Mortensen and Peter Bastiansen are the top players for Denmark and their compatriots are Steen Dannisgaard, only 19, and the veteran, Lars Elvslrom. They have spent the last 10 days preparing on grass in Melbourne, and on two of these days they had the assistance of a top Austalian player. Paul McNamee. “Now we know how to play on grass but the problem is if we can carry out those lessons against experienced opposition.” Mr Hedlund said. Asked to- describe the strengths of his side, he replied, with a quite smile, that they were secret. In the lead-up to the tie. Bastiansen had practised in the United States and played in two South American tournaments, during which he had toppled Hie Nastase. The Danes respect Chris Lewis, whose reputation is well known to them, and Russell Simpson, for his bounding court coverage. But from the first impressions, the Danes seem unlikely to be over-awed by reputations or strange surroundings.