12 Feb Irish Davis Cup Team Announced
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The Irish team set to travel to the Algerian capital of Algiers for the Davis Cup Euro/Africa Zone Group II tie at the beginning of March was announced this afternoon (12th February), and will include a good mixture of experience and youth within the squad.
Conor Niland, Louk Sorensen, Colin O’Brien and James McGee will travel with Team Captain Sean Sorensen (below left) to the North African nation to play at the Office du Complexe Olympique Mohamed Boudiaf venue from the 6th – 8th March 2009. Starting times for each day have now been confirmed and the Irish will start each day at the following times:
Friday 6th March – 11:00 hours local (10:00 hours GMT)
Saturday 7th March – 13:30 hours local (12:30 hours GMT)
Sunday 8th March – 11:00 hours local (10:00 hours GMT)
With all current Irish players considered for selection injury free, the team of Niland, Louk Sorensen, O’Brien and McGee is the strongest available to Sean Sorensen for the event and he will confident that his team can challenge their Algerian counterparts in every rubber.
The backbone of the team will be Conor Niland (279 ATP World Ranking) and Louk Sorensen (307). Niland has been a mainstay in the Irish Davis Cup team since 2003 making 20 appearances under the Irish banner in that time. Similarly, Louk is an experienced campaigner on the Davis Cup scene, however injury has reduced his appearances in Irish colours to only eleven matches. The records show that he is an essential part of the Irish team when fit and has won all but one of his eleven ties with Ireland making him crucial to Irelands Davis Cup campaign in 2009.
Colin O’Brien and James McGee will make up the less experienced half of the team, but results in recent months for both players would not suggest that they will be a weak link. James McGee will be making his first appearance in an Irish Davis Cup squad after returning from North Carolina State in 2008, to concentrate full-time on the pro-tour and has seen both his form and ATP World Ranking improve to 573 at present. Colin O’Brien has been selected for a second year a row, putting in appearances against Morocco and Ukraine last year – experience which will stand the young Dubliner, ATP ranking 645, in good stead in Algeria.
The Algerians have yet to announce an official squad for the tie but will be expected to include Algerian No.1 Lamine Ouahab and current World No.174 in their squad.
For further reports on the Irish Davis Cup team in 2009
click here.
For more information on Davis Cup Euro/Africa Zone Group II
click here.
