Easy Cup win for Henman

Tennis

Luke Milligan came through his Davis Cup debut in style and Tim Henman was again outstanding as Britain gained a 2-0 lead over Ghana in the Euro/Africa Group Two tie in Accra yesterday.

Henman, the British No 1 from Oxford, played the opening rubber and beat Isaac Donkor 6-2, 6-0, 6-2 in 90 minutes to give Britain a flying start.

Then Milligan, opposed Ghana's top player, Frank Ofori, and, despite a hostile crowd and intense heat, won 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to put Britain into an almost impregnable position.

Britain need only to win the doubles today to clinch the tie and this should prove an easy task for Mark Petchey and Neil Broad, who face two little-known Ghana players in Daniel Omaboe and Tetteh Quaye.

Ghana's tennis president, J Stanley Owusu, had upset Britain's non-playing captain David Lloyd when he said at Thursday's draw ceremony: "It is D- Day for our motherland Ghana against Great Britain and we can assure you we're going to beat you."

Owusu said this with tongue in cheek but Lloyd did not like it. Not that it made any difference for the British players were clearly in a different class yesterday.

Henman, who became the first home player to reach the Wimbledon quarter- finals since Roger Taylor in 1973, was highly superior to the unranked Donkor. The divide in skill was clearly evident as Donkor could make nothing of Henman's powerful service and ground strokes.

Donkor, no better than an average county player, was probably delighted to get off court even though the crowd banging bongo drums, ringing bells and yelling non-stop, had given him tremendous support.

If Britain win they qualify for a promotion match with either Egypt or the Ivory Coast at home in September.

DAVIS CUP, Euro/Africa Group two (Accra): Ghana v Great Britain (GB names first): T Henman bt I Donkor 6-2 6-0 6-2; L Milligan bt F Ofori 6-1 3- 6 6-4 6-2. (GB lead 2-0). Today (2pm): N Broad and M Petchey v D Omaboe and T Quayle. Tomorrow (11am): Henman v Ofori; Milligan v Donkor.