Tennis Roundup : Win by Cash and Doohan Cuts India’s Lead to 2-1

Australia’s Pat Cash and Peter Doohan defeated India’s Anand Amritraj and Vasudevan Srinivasan, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, Saturday at Sydney, Australia, to cut India’s lead to 2-1 in the Davis Cup semifinals.

The winner will play either Sweden or Spain in the finals. Sweden leads that semifinal at Barcelona, Spain, 2-1.

Spain stayed alive Saturday when Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal defeated Sweden’s Mats Wilander and Anders Jarryd, 6-0, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, after a three-hour rain delay.

Cash, who returned after being sidelined with an injured right knee, combined with Doohan to down the Indians in 2 hours 29 minutes and keep hopes alive for defending champion Australia.

India had stunned Australia Friday by taking a 2-0 lead with singles victories by Ramesh Krishnan over John Fitzgerald and Vijay Amritraj over Wally Masur.

The semifinals end today with singles matches that have Indian captain Vijay Amritraj playing Fitzgerald and Krishnan facing Masur.

India is seeking its third berth in the Davis Cup finals. It made the finals in 1966 against Australia at Melbourne, losing, 4-1, and in 1974, when the Indians withdrew against South Africa to protest that nation’s apartheid policy.

Spain last reached the Davis Cup finals 15 years ago, while Sweden, the 1985 champion, has been in the finals four straight times.

Third-seeded Lori McNeil broke second-seeded Zina Garrison’s serve twice in the opening three games. then went on to a 6-2,6-4 semifinal victory in the Virginia Slims of New Orleans.

Today’s final will pit McNeil against either Chris Evert or Wendy Turnbull.

McNeil upset Evert last month in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.