SA win Davis Cup tie

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa clinched their Euro-Africa Davis Cup tie 3-0 against Denmark at Emperors Palace on Saturday by winning the doubles – but only after Danish number one Frederik Nielsen, giving a fair imitation of a ferocious Great Dane growling, had described at the post-match media conference a linesman’s decision as ” scandalous and disgraceful”.

The scandalous decision in question occurred during the second set of South Africa’s Jeff Coetzee and Rik De Voest’s gruelling 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 4-6 7-5 victory over Nielsen and Norby Rasmus, with the Danes poised to level the match at a set-all with a second-set service break in their favour imminent when they led 3-1 and 30-15 on Coetzee’s service. A backhand, cross-court shot from the nuggety Coetzee appeared a good five centimetres out, but the linesman remained as inscrutable as a Venetian statue and ruled that the ball had indeed dropped in court.The outraged appeals of the Danish players and team captain, John Larsen, against the highly controversial call were also ignored by the umpire, with Nielsen describing the dubious incident in question as “something you can expect to get in Eastern Europe”.And the assertion by the Danes that the new-found momentum, which they had gained in the match at this point, swung back South Africa’s way after the rumpus could not be described as anything but valid.Instead of leading 4-1 in the second set, the Danes dropped service, the score see-sawed to 3-3 and South Africa eventually gained a commanding two-set lead.SupertennisA backhand, cross-court shot from the nuggety Coetzee appeared a good five centimetres out, but the linesman remained as inscrutable as a Venetian statue and ruled that the ball had indeed dropped in court.The outraged appeals of the Danish players and team captain, John Larsen, against the highly controversial call were also ignored by the umpire, with Nielsen describing the dubious incident in question as “something you can expect to get in Eastern Europe”.And the assertion by the Danes that the new-found momentum, which they had gained in the match at this point, swung back South Africa’s way after the rumpus could not be described as anything but valid.Instead of leading 4-1 in the second set, the Danes dropped service, the score see-sawed to 3-3 and South Africa eventually gained a commanding two-set lead.Supertennis