Tennis: Lithuania throw down gauntlet to Sorensen's troops ahead of Davis Cup clash
LITHUANIA have thrown down the gauntlet to Ireland in a big way ahead of this weekend's Davis Cup second round showdown in Dublin.
After shocking Britain in the first round in Vilnius last March, the Lithuanians' tails are really up for the Europe-Africa Zone Group Two clash at the Fitzwilliam Club today, tomorrow and Sunday.
A further boost to the Baltic brigade is that their top player, Ricardas Berankis, who has just turned 20, reached the second round of the main draw at Wimbledon. That feat helped him improve to a career-high world ranking of 132, compared to Conor Niland's mark of 162.
"We know it won't be easy," said Lithuania team boss Remigijus Balzekas. "The Ireland team is great, and Mr Niland is a very great player, and we know him very well. But still we're very optimistic, and my team is ready for the battle.
Optimistic
"Even though (Andy) Murray wasn't playing, our win over Britain was very encouraging for us, and Ricardas' performances this year, particularly at Wimbledon, have also given us reason to be very optimistic. As well as doing well at Wimbledon, Ricardas recently won his first Challenger title."
Balzekas feels that the absence of the injured Louk Sorensen from the home line-up is a big plus for his side. "It's better for our team that Louk Sorensen is not playing, and it's bad for the Irish team, even though it would be more interesting for the tie if he was playing."
Balzekas also rubbished any belief that the fast indoor surface at Fitzwilliam might prove to be a bonus for Sean Sorensen's troops.
"Our players are already pro players, and they are used to playing on all surfaces," he said. "So it does not matter to us what kind of surface it is."
Berankis and Niland are well acquainted, having played each other twice -- in the 2007 Davis Cup in Cairo (won by Niland) and in a Futures tournament in 2008 (won by Berankis).
"I think he (Niland) was injured in the Futures, and I practised with him a couple of times recently," said Berankis.
"I'm confident in my game at the moment, and we'll see how it goes here."
- Paddy Hickey
Irish Independent
