SWEDISH tennis captain Carl-Axel Hageskog said this weekend's Davis Cup tie against India in Calcutta could become "a hate match", the daily Svenska Dagbladet reported yesterday.

"The Indians have been really difficult, it feels like they want to muck us around on purpose," Hageskog was quoted as saying.

According to the newspaper Hageskog threatened to boycott the match after Indian customs held up special food and equipment.

"We are staying to fight. This could become a real hate match," Hageskog said.

The container was not delivered to the Swedes for three days after, their arrival, but an Indian Davis Cup official was quoted as saying the delay was a result of the Swedes not following Indian customs regulations.

The Swedes are without Stefan Edberg, who said he was unavailable because he was worried about falling ill.

In a previous match in India, Edberg's former coach Tony Pickard and a Swedish journalist friend both became sick.