Pat Rafter Mar. 21, 98

Pat you are going to lead Australia into the first round of the Davis Cup. Australia faces Zimbabwe in Mildura. How do you feel about that tie?

Rafter: It's the pressure more than anything. I think if we can deal with that, well, we have the surface in our favour and we have two well ranked guys to beat but on paper we should win. It is Davis Cup and you just have to deal with the pressure so we will see if we can do that.

It doesn't happen too often, that you have two brothers playing for a country - Byron and Wayne Black.

Rafter: We know a little bit about them and they are great competitors and they fight very hard and they can play very well. We will have to be on our toes...and they return fantastic. If their sister plays we are in all sorts of trouble.

We are taking Davis Cup to the country centres in Australia for the fist time. That would be a nice change.

Rafter: I think it will be. They are the best grass courts in Australia, everyone has said that and I'm looking to give them a bit of a go. In the country it was sold out on the first day so that's a great sign.

You and Jason Stoltenberg are the two singles players and the Woodies will be the doubles with Lleyton Hewitt making up the team. That's a pretty formidable set-up.

Rafter: It's going to be a great side. All four of us can play singles and we have the best doubles team in the world.

It should be a good run for Australia in the Davis Cup, most of the ties are at home.

Rafter: Most of the ties are at home. It's all to do with pressure. We have quite a good draw, I think we can do very well.