Canada's triumph spoils the script - Tennis
The Times
London, England
Wednesday, July 15, 1992
From Barry Wood in Frankfurt
THE return of South Africa to international team tennis after an absence of 15 years was marked by a first-round defeat against Canada in the Federation Cup yesterday. Winners of the competition in 1972, when they defeated Great Britain in the final in Johannesburg, they last played in 1977 at Eastbourne.
Yesterday's result means that South Africa will now have to win both their reverse-draw play-off matches if they are to qualify automatically for next year's finals.
Mariaan De Swardt was defeated 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 by Rene Alter, and Amanda Coetzer, perhaps the most improved player this year, lost by the same score to Patricia Hy, who arrived in Canada by way of Cambodia and Hong Kong. The latter match was a delightful spectacle, in which the service was used as a means of initiating countless absorbing rallies, rather than as an act of aggression. Both players combined to produce beautiful touch tennis, exhilarating exchanges at the net and skilful baseline play.
"We might have felt a little pressure because we are not used to playing team events, and we both held back after winning the first sets instead of going out to win," Coetzer said. "But it was a good experience for us and when we come back we'll be a little wiser," de Swardt added.
So Canada can look forward to a second-round match with the defending champions and second seeds, Spain.
There were long faces among the Argentine team, despite the win over Mexico. Argentina's participation in the Olympics has been thrown into doubt.
The Argentine Olympic Committee has signed a clothing deal with Adidas to cover all those participating in Barcelona, but the tennis players are already endorsed by other manufacturers.
The players have offered to wear all white clothing with no endorsements, but that is apparently unacceptable to the AOC, and the team now fears it may be prevented by its own country from participating.
"They are being very inflexible, and there is a real danger we will be unable to play," Mercedes Paz said.
In other matches, Nathalie Tauziat was defeated by China's Li Fang, but France won the deciding doubles. Spain won both singles rubbers in their 2-1 victory over Belgium.
RESULTS: First round: Spain bt Belgium, 2-1 (Spanish names first): C Martinez bt D Monami, 6-1, 6-4; A Sanchez Vicario bt S Appelmans, 6-1, 6-2; Sanchez Vicario and N Perez lost to Monami and Appelmans 5-7, 4-6. Australia bt Bulgaria, 2-1 (Australia names first): R McQuillan lost to M Maleeva, 6-7, 2-6; N Provis bt K Maleeva, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0; Provis and R Stubbs bt K Maleeva and M Maleeva, 6-2, 6-1. Sweden bt Switzerland, 2-1 (Swedish names first): C Dahlman bt E Zardo, 6-2, 6-3; C Linqvist lost to M Maleeva-Fragniere 0-6, 2-6; M Lindstrom and M Strandlund bt Maleeva-Fragniere and M Strebel, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
Austria bt Romania, 2-1 (Austrian names first): P Ritter lost to R Dragomir, 4-6, 1-6; J Wiesner bt I Spirlea, 6-0, 6-3; Ritter and J Wiesner bt Dragomir and Spirlea, 7-5, 6-3. Canada bt South Africa, 2-1 (Canadian names first): R Simpson-Alter bt Mariaan de Swardt, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2; P Hy bt A Coetzer, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2; J Hetherington and H Kelesi lost to E Reinach and de Swardt, 4-6, 3-6.
France bt China, 2-1 (French names first): M Pierce bt Chen Li, 6-2, 6-2; N Tauziat lost to Li Fang, 1-6, 7-6, 3-6; Tauziat and I Demongeot bt Li Fang and Tang Min, 6-3, 7-6. CIS bt Finland, 2-1 (CIS names first): E Makarova bt N Dahlman, 7-6, 6-4; E Manyukova lost to P Thoren, 7-5, 4-6, 5-7; Makarova and Manyukova bt Dahlman and Thoren, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
Czechoslovakia bt Hungary 3-0 (Czechoslovak names first): R Zrubakova bt A-M Foldenyi, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1; J Novotna bt A Temesvari, 6-2, 6-1; Novotna and A Strnadova bt Temesvari and V Csurgo, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5. South Korea bt Italy, 2-1 (Korean names first): Il-Soon Kim bt L Ferrando, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Sung-Hee Park lost to S Cecchini, 4-6, 0-6; Jeong Myung Lee and Kim bt Ferrando and Cecchini, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3. Argentina bt Mexico 3-0 (Argentine names first): F Labat bt L Novelo, 6-2, 6-1; M Paz bt A Gavaldon, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; Paz and P Tarabini bt Novelo and Gavaldon, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.