Clay complications put Ireland’s promotion hopes on hold again

THE lack of match-practice on clay took a costly toll on the Ireland Fed Cup team yesterday in the sweltering heat and high humidity in Cairo.

Because of the flight restrictions, team boss Garry Cahill and Cork’s Niamh Coveney were unable to fly out of Dublin Airport until Wednesday for the round-robin event which began early that day. And Antrim’s Lucy McCullough was delayed in Ireland until 24 hours later.

Three years ago, the Smash Tennis Academy on the northern outskirts of Cairo proved a happy hunting ground for the Ireland men’s tennis team when they gained promotion in the Davis Cup to Group Two of the Europe-Africa Zone.

But yesterday a 2-1 defeat for the Irish women’s team at the hands of Algeria, at the same venue, and once again on a clay surface, means that Cahill’s young side must resign themselves to at least another year in Group Three of the Europe-Africa Zone.

A victory over Algeria, whom Ireland defeated 3-0 on a hardcourt surface in last year’s Fed Cup in Malta, would have secured a promotion play-off today against big guns Turkey, with Morocco facing Egypt in the other tie.

Instead, Ireland must content themselves with a clash against Moldova to decide fifth and sixth places with Malta filling the seventh and final place.

Algeria clinched victory against Ireland when they prevailed in the deciding doubles, with Fatima Zohra-Bouabdallah and Assia Halo defeating Julia Moriarty and Lucy McCullough 3-6 6-3 6-1 in one hour and 55 minutes.

The Algerians had gone 1-0 up when Halo scored a 6-0 6-7 (5/7) 6-1 win over Greystones 16-year-old Amy Bowtell after two hours and 15 minutes.

But Australian-born debutant Moriarty levelled for Cahill’s side when edging Zohra-Bouabdallah 6-0 3-6 6-4 after two hours.