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Australians looking for Nice, fast clay

Rex Gowar

Australia and France, two of the main protagonists in 100 years of Davis Cup tennis, meet in the last final of the century this weekend.

The French, twice winners this decade and eight in total, host the match against the Australians, who have lifted the trophy 26 times, on an indoor clay court in Nice, starting on tomorrow.

In the absence of a star player such as injured Australian No 1 Pat Rafter, the match could hinge on the possible dominance of one outstanding singles player like France's Cedric Pioline, on Saturday's doubles match or on how Australia cope on clay.

World No 13 Pioline, who helped France to an upset away victory over Sweden in the 1996 final in Malmo, is unbeaten in three Davis Cup ties this year, all played at home.

He played excellent tennis in his decisive matches against Richard Krajicek in the first round win over The Netherlands and Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten in the quarter-final at Pau.

Australians Mark Philippoussis, a power player on fast surfaces, and Lleyton Hewitt, raw at 18 but talented and determined, are not at their happiest on clay.

Captain John Newcombe has put his team through a great deal of practice on the surface in the past two weeks, first at San Remo in Italy before coming to Nice on Monday.

In fact, the indoor clay surface at Nice is not as slow as the outdoor courts on which the Australians have practiced.

"Clay is Mark's best surface,'' Newcombe said without the slightest hesitation.

"His serve is still very effective and in the rallies the ball bounces at an ideal height for him,'' he said.

But Newcombe's opposite number Guy Forget, the common denominator in France's three finals of the decade having played in the winning teams of 1991 and 1996, said the Australian was bluffing.

"Obviously he can't say the opposite, but a guy who is 1.94 metres tall and weighs more than 90 kilos and has to run from one corner of the court to the other can't be more at ease on clay than fast surfaces,'' Forget said.

Philippoussis, ranked eighth in the world in April although now 19th, also tried to play down his captain's extreme optimism.

''I'm comfortable on the surface here but I also know that there's a lot more pressure in a Davis Cup final than in the final of a Grand Slam tournament,'' Philippoussis, U.S Open finalist in 1998, said.

''I get more and more nervous as the match gets closer,'' Hewitt, ranked 22, added.

''It's going to be the biggest event of my career. Do you realise that in my first year in the Davis Cup team I'm going to play the final. I can't believe it, even though I know that if I play well I can beat anyone,'' he said.

A crucial element in Davis Cup finals over the years has, however, been the doubles. The team that won the doubles in all the finals since 1981 has lifted the trophy and that includes Australia the last time in 1986.

The French have much respect for Australia's pair, Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, arguably the decade's outstanding doubles partnership. Yet Olivier Delaitre and Fabrice Santoro, a solid French pair this season in Davis Cup competition, have beaten them twice in the last two years. France beat Australia at home on their way to a remarkable upset of record 31 times winners the United States in Lyon in 1991.

But Australia won the last tie between the two countries at home in 1997 when France, fresh from their Malmo triumph, went down in the first round.