University of Tennessee Athletics
Rea Set to Make Davis Cup Debut This Weekend
February 04, 2004 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 4, 2004
INVERCARGILL, New Zealand - Tennessee senior tennis player Simon Rea will fulfill a lifelong dream Friday when he debuts as a member of the 2004 New Zealand Davis Cup team. The 21-year-old native of Auckland, New Zealand, will represent his home country in the largest annual international team competition in world sport.
New Zealand hosts an Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 first-round tie vs. India Feb. 6-8 at Stadium Southland in Invercargill, New Zealand. All matches will be played indoors on a carpet surface.
First-year New Zealand Davis Cup captain Bruce Derlin announced the nation's five-man 2004 roster last month, and Rea was among three Davis Cup rookies named to the squad. Rea's Kiwi teammates include Daniel King-Turner, Matt Prentice, Mark Nielsen and Adam Thompson as the fifth non-playing team member.
Former world No. 1-ranked doubles player Leander Paes, a bronze medallist in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, will serve as India's team captain. India's squad is composed of Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Harsh Mankad and Davis Cup first-timer Vishal Punna. Bhupathi played collegiately at Ole Miss from 1994-95, has won five Grand Slam doubles championships (with Paes) and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world in doubles.
Each Davis Cup tie is contested in a best-of-five-matches format and is played across three days. On the first day (Friday), there are two singles matches, and then the doubles match takes place the following day. The reverse singles take place on the final day (Sunday).
