Davis Cup star ready for Israelis

SOUTH Africa’s top Davis Cup player Lloyd Harris is feeling no extra pressure ahead of his team’s campaign against Israel at Pretoria’s Irene Country Club today.

Harris was drawn to play Israel’s No 2, Edan Leshem, in the opening rubber of a contest rated by captain Marcos Ondruska as South Africa’s toughest yet.

Harris‚ who turns 21 later this month‚ is 25 days older than New York-born Leshem but‚ at 289th in the world‚ he is 35 spots lower on the world rankings.

“It’s definitely business as usual‚” Harris said at the draw yesterday.

“Obviously we’re coming up against a tough team but we’re playing at home‚ in front of the home crowd and I think we’ve done really well here in Irene.”

South Africa are unbeaten so far at their Irene base‚ but now they are in Group I‚ just one below the main draw of the Davis Cup.

“It’s a quality team‚ the best team we have faced‚” Ondruska said.

“I’ve been looking at the guys practice‚ seeing what they have and don’t have and figuring out ideas we can [take] into these matches.”

But a lot of the analysis would happen on court as the match unfolded‚ he said.

It is this team dynamic that keeps bringing doubles specialist Raven Klaasen back.

Ranked 27th in the world as a doubles player, Klaasen said: “Coming back with the boys is a little break from what I do on the tour every day, and it’s certainly one of the more fun weeks you can have as a tennis player.

“This group has been together for a while now and the chemistry is gelling well.”

Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse will be in action tomorrow against Daniel Cukierman and veteran Jonathan Erlich‚ who at 40 is older than his captain‚ Harel Levy‚ 39.

Erlich‚ Levy and Israel’s No 1‚ Dudi Sela‚ were part of the team that punched above their weight to reach the Davis Cup semifinals in 2009, but lost to eventual winners Spain.

The doubles and reverse singles are all scheduled for tomorrow, with Sunday set aside only as a reserve day.

Play today begins at 4pm. – TimesLIVE