TENNIS: A slow red-clay court generating 20-shot rallies under warm sunshine will not be the severe handicap it used to be for the Irish players when Ireland take on Slovenia at Portoro in their tie in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup, Euro/African Group II this afternoon.
"Our players are full-time professionals now playing in similar conditions week in week out on the tour," argues non-playing team captain Peter Wright.
The superior world rankings held by the Slovenians make them favourites to progress, but Wright says he is confident Peter Clarke and John Doran, who play the singles today, can give a good account of themselves in a match in which toughness, both mental and physical, will be of paramount importance.
The Davis Cup tie and next week's Fed Cup match will be the first major fixtures played at the newly-constructed seaside club courts.
Yesterday's draw decreed that Doran (536) opens against the home side's leading player, Marko Tkalec. Peter Clarke (267), now fully recovered from injury, will take on Iztok Bozic in the second singles game.
