Australia in turmoil over Davis Cup

Pat Rafter's disappointment after losing to Pete Sampras in the Wimbledon final will be eased somewhat if he helps Australia make a successful defence of the Davis Cup against Spain in Barcelona in three weeks' time, particularly as injury caused him to miss last year's triumph against France in Nice.

Pat Rafter's disappointment after losing to Pete Sampras in the Wimbledon final will be eased somewhat if he helps Australia make a successful defence of the Davis Cup against Spain in Barcelona in three weeks' time, particularly as injury caused him to miss last year's triumph against France in Nice.

Mark Philippoussis was Australia's hero on that occasion, but various disputes with team- mates and administrators have led to the 24-year-old from Melbourne missing this year's campaign. If that is not bad enough, Lleyton Hewitt, the brilliant 19-year-old from Adelaide, scratched from the Paris Indoor Championships here this week because of a viral infection that has affected him periodically since August. "I hope Lleyton is able to play in Barcelona," Philippoussis said, "but, as for Davis Cup, I made my decision, and it's no."

Hewitt yesterday qualified for one of the eight places in the Masters Cup in Lisbon on 28 November when Sweden's Thomas Enqvist, his closest rival, was beaten by the 35-year-old Italian Gianluca Pozzi, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6.

Rafter, while hoping Hewitt will be fit for Barcelona, accepts that Philippoussis is out of the equation, even though "Scud" advanced to the third round here yesterday, defeating Dominik Hrbaty, of Slovakia, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6, hitting 16 aces.

"It would be great to have [Mark] on board, but so many things have been said and done, so we're just leaving it alone," Rafter said. "Mark and I have sorted out our differences. He thinks it's best he should sit it out. We say maybe we should just leave it as the team that it's been for the year, and we'll start from scratch next year."

And if Hewitt cannot make it? "It's a very difficult one," Rafter said. "I suppose either Andrew Ilie or Richard Fromberg will be the next couple of guys."

Rafter, seeded No 15 here, is due to play the top-seeded Gustavo Kuerten, of Brazil, the French Open champion, in the third round, having dispatched Julien Boutter, a French wild card, 6-3, 6-2.

Boutter is prepared to put up with a great deal for his tennis, such as sleeping on the floor of his hotel room in New York during the United States Open because the bed was too soft for his suspect back (he lost to Hewitt in the second round). But the 27-year-old from Boulay seemed ill at ease from the moment he stepped on court at the Palais de Omnisport.

His nerves were not helped by a delay before the start of the match when it was discovered that the first batch of balls were softer than his bed in New York. And when new ones were produced, he barely put his racket to them during the opening three games.

Rafter started by hitting a service winner and three aces. Boutter responded with two double faults in the second game, failing to score a point until 0-40, when Rafter netted a backhand return. Boutter raised his arms in mock triumph and the crowd gave an ironic cheer.

The Frenchman, while relieved that Rafter did not add to his ace count until hitting a fourth in the sixth game of the second set, remained under attack. The first set flashed by in 28 minutes, and Rafter was done for the day in a minute under an hour. "He really struggled there today," Rafter said. "I kept the pressure on him the whole time. Never allowed him to feel comfortable. His game sort of deteriorated, unfortunately for him."

"I feel sick after a match like that," the hapless Boutter said. "Playing serve and volley, playing passing shots, I could have lost 6-1, 6-0. That's not important, But losing 3 and 2 without doing anything is incredible."