Davis Cup seeds tumble

Press, 10 February 1988, Page 72

Davis Cup seeds tumble

NZPA-Reuter London Michael Tauson, aged 21, a right-hander, from Copenhagen, continued a remarkable run of Davis Cup tennis success when he led Denmark into the quarter-finals with an unexpected 3-2 victory over Spain in Aarhus. Tauson, ranked 311th in the world, followed his six singles wins last year when Denmark qualified for the world group with two more victories over Spain’s clay-court specialists, Emilio Sanchez and Ser-

gio Casal, who were outgunned on the fast car•pet surface. Spain’s demise meant only West Germany, of the seeded nations in the bottom half of the draw, survived the first round of world group matches. India, last year’s beaten finalist, lost 2-3, in New Delhi to Yugoslavia which will be at home in the next round against Italy, a 4-1 winner over Israel in Palermo, Sicily. West Germany, which

overwhelmed Brazil, 5-0, in Essen, will again be host in the quarterfinals in April when it plays the Danes in Frankfurt.

In the top half of the draw the title-holder, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia both won 5-0, against New Zealand and Paraguay respectively, and "will face each other for the third time in five years in Norkkoping. The other quarterfinal will pit France, whi<s) beat Switzerland,

4-1, in Basle, against Australia, which beat Mexico, 3-2, in a protracted contest in Mexico City. The United States, eliminated from the world group last year after losing a controversial tie in Paraguay before going down to West Germany in a relegation play-off, will play Peru in April in an American zone group match. If it survives that tie, it will play either Argentina or Ecuador for a place in the championship section. T :