Ireland expect tough weekend

Tennis Davis CupIreland's weekend in the Tali Tennis Centre in Helsinki for their Davis Cup clash against Finland is expected to be one of the tougher assignments in their Davis Cup Euro-African Group.

With the left-handed world number 24 Jarkko Nieminen now confirmed as part of the home side's team, Ireland will be realistically expected to lose the two singles rubbers but according to non-playing Irish team captain Owen Casey, the doubles are still open for the taking.

Louk and Kevin Sorensen, ranked in the 500s and 600s respectively, as well as David O'Connell and the unranked teenager Tristan Farron Mahon, are a relatively inexperienced team and to get anything from the two Nieminen matches would in itself be a triumph. Just back from playing in the top-flight Masters series in the US, Nieminen will be looking towards the clay court season which will soon begin in Europe leading up to the climax of the French Open.

"The pressure is on Jarkko because there will be a lot of expectations on him," said Casey. "There is no pressure on Kevin to go out and play his game. You simply don't know what is going to happen when you step on the court. You can only show up and play on the day."

In this group, Ireland will regularly face players who are ranked in the top 50 and 100 in the world. While the ranking confers a favourite tag, there are regularly upsets. "Jarkko is in the top 24 in the world and they will be looking at him to come in. But we will be looking at the number two match and the doubles. Any of the matches we've won or lost in this Davis Cup seems to have come down to the doubles. I wouldn't say that Jarkko is good for three matches. The singles games he can control but in the doubles he has another guy and that's a different prospect."

Both Conor Niland and Eoin Heavy were expected to have been selected for the team but were unable to play because of Collegiate commitments in the US.

SCHEDULE: Today: Singles: K Sorenson v J Nieminen; L Sorensen v J Paukku. Tomorrow: Doubles: Sorensen and Sorensen v T Ketola and L Kiiski. Sunday: reverse singles.