Tennis: Bad light halts Davis Cup drama

FRANCE, the 1991 winners, and India were level at 4-4 in the final set of the deciding rubber of their Davis Cup quarter-final when the match was suspended because of bad light in Frejus, France yesterday.

The winner of the marathon singles match between Rodolphe Gilbert and Ramesh Krishnan, which continues today, will decide which country meets Australia, in the semi- finals in September.

Gilbert won the first and third sets 6-2 and 6-4, while Krishnan took the second and the fourth 6-4 and 7-5. Earlier India's Leander Paes had beaten Arnaud Boetsch 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, to level the match.

In another close contest in Florence, Australia's Richard Fromberg won the final rubber against Italy's Stefano Pescosolido in straight sets to give his country a 3-2 triumph. Even without their No 1 player, Stefan Edberg, Sweden proved too strong for the Netherlands in the Hague and will meet Germany in the last four, a repeat of the 1988 and 1989 finals.

With Edberg absent due to the birth of his first child, the Swedes clinched victory on Saturday when Anders Jarryd and Henrik Holm defeated Paul Haarhuis and Mark Kovermans 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 to give Sweden an unassailable 3-0 lead.

In Halle, Germany, without Boris Becker but inspired by Michael Stich, easily defeated the Czech/Slovak Republic.