UFO Info Week-End

Another double-fault gave Boggetti his only glimpse of a break point in the seventh game of the second set

Another double-fault gave Boggetti his only glimpse of a break point, in the seventh game of the second set. It was important to get over that first match.” The world No 49 quickly introduced Boggetti, Monaco’s No 2, to the full force of his serving power, a double-fault on the first point of the fifth game ruining a clean sheet in the opening set. “When they call the score, they don’t say Mr Rusedski, they say Great Britain, so there’s a lot of pride at stake. The last time that happened was 10 years ago, when Jeremy Bates marked his debut against Portugal at Nottingham. Bates’s national service ended with the defeat by Romania in Manches-ter a year ago, and the recent acquisition of Rusedski from Canada appears to be galvanising a new squad.Britain have lost six consecutive ties since a scoreboard last displayed a 2-0 lead after an opening day’s play, against Austria in Manchester in 1991. Rusedski and Henman required only three hours and three minutes to achieve that without losing a set in the relegation play-off at Devonshire Park yesterday.Their opponents, it is true, are nonentities on the tour and had never before played on a grass court, but as each match progressed the Monegasques began to look at least as confident as British players usually do on the slow clay of Europe.Rusedski hit 20 aces in defeating the unranked Christophe Boggetti, 6- 2, 6-2, 7-6, and Henman accounted for Sebastien Graeff, ranked No 924 in the world, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2; a far cry from Wimbledon, where Rusedski and Henman were both beaten in straight sets by the champion, Pete Sampras.”I was more nervous today than for my Wimbledon matches, because I was playing for my country,” Rusedski said. Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman won their first singles rubbers in the competition yesterday, Rusedski on his debut, and the contest will be dead if Neil Broad and Mark Petchey are successful in the doubles this afternoon.
Tomorrow would then bring the unaccustomed prospect of sending opponents packing, 5-0.

Walloping Monaco in Group Two of the Euro-African Zone may not represent a big deal, but the slide towards Davis Cup ignominy had to end somewhere, somehow. Strong pairing and now both drivers are winners, a fact no other team can boast.Sauber-Ford Zetec29 Jean-Christophe Boullion (Fr)Age 25, GPs 3, wins 030 Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Ger)Age 28, GPs 22, wins 0.One of the season’s under-achievers and doubtless a big disappointment to Ford, who last year had Benetton as their flagship Will be hard pressed to keep Frentzen.. Britain are staring at another whitewash, only this time the paint job will be covering somebody else’s wall. They will face even greater pressure under next year’s stringent qualifying rules.Minardi-Ford23 Pierluigi Martini (It)Age 34, GPs 117, wins 024 Luca Badoer (It)Age 24, GPs 19, wins 0The Italian team have learned to live on a knife edge but this year has proved even more traumatic, with rows and legal wrangles, let alone the uphill struggle on the track.Ligier-Mugen Honda25 Martin Brundle (GB)Age 36, GPs 135, wins 026 Olivier Panis (Fr)Age 28, GPs 23, wins 0The last French team in F1 are showing signs of improvement under the guidance of Tom Walkinshaw, and Brundle’s new lease of life has reinforced the British connection.Ferrari27 Jean Alesi (Fr)Age 31, GPs 92, wins 128 Gerhard Berger (Aut)Age, 35, GPs 170, wins 9Consistent progress was checked in France, though it is thought that was an isolated slip. Disappointing early in the season but their luck changed with second and third places in Canada.Pacific-Ford16 Bertrand Gachot (Fr)Age32, GPs 43, wins 017 Andrea Montermini (It)Age 31, GPs 6, wins 0Defied the odds to reach a second season, though the car has not been as competitive as they anticipated and a still tight budget has restricted their testing capabilities.Forti-Ford21 Pedro Diniz (Bra)Age 25, GPs 7, wins 022 Roberto Moreno (Bra)Age 36, GPs 32, wins 0The newest team to F1 and, to no one’s great surprise, generally bringing up the rear of the field. Gianni Morbidelli’s occasional spark showed promise but his money has run out and Papis comes in.Jordan-Peugeot14 Rubens Barrichello (Bra)Age 23, GPs 38, wins 015 Eddie Irvine (GB)Age 29, GPs 22, wins 0Living, vibrant proof that new teams can make it in Formula One, and now an expanding operation.

They appear reduced to a damage limitation exercise for the rest of ‘95.Footwork-Hart9 Max Papis (It)Age 25, GPs 010 Taki Inoue (Japan)Age 31, GPs 8, wins 0Another season of midfield anonymity. They urgently require an upturn in performance for the second half of the campaign.Williams-Renault5 Damon Hill (GB)Age 34, GPs 41, wins 116 David Coulthard (GB)Age 24, GPs 15, wins 0The constructors’ champions are still a match for Schumacher in qualifying, but in danger of losing contact in the races, much to Hill’s frustration. A crucial weekend for them.McLaren-Mercedes7 Mark Blundell (GB)Age 29, GPs 51, wins 08 Mika Hakkinen (Fin)Age 26, GPs 55, wins 0A miserable year for the former champions, compounded by the embarrassing, ill-starred signing of Nigel Mansell. Regardless of the result, it is that Schumacher ranks as the most accomplished driver out there..

Benetton-Renault

1 Michael Schumacher (Ger)
Age 26, GPs 59, wins 142 Johnny Herbert (GB)Age 31, GPs 70, wins 0Inevitable early teething problems for the new alliance have been cured and world champion Schumacher has regained his momentum. Herbert is still seeking to play his full part in the team effort.Tyrrell-Yamaha3 Ukyo Katayama (Japan)Age 32, GPs 53, wins 04 Mika Salo (Fin)Age 28, GPs 9, wins 0It has been, by their own admission, a disappointing season so far for the team. No amount of jingoistic fervour for Hill at Silverstone tomorrow will be able to obscure an irrefutable truth. Schumacher gets on well with mechanics, and team-mates have never had a bad word for him.Above all else, Schumacher is unquestionably quick You can’t buy that at the drug store You don’t pour it on Sugar Puffs It comes from the womb.

Of Rudi Caracciola who was known as the ‘rain master’,” he said.When Schumacher tussled with Hill in blinding rain at the Japanese Grand Prix last year questions were asked about his ability to cope with abnormal circumstances. Was he inferior in attitude to his less talented rival?From top to bottom, the Benetton team will have none of it Neither do they go along with suggestions of arrogance. “Schumacher cannot yet be compared with Senna, who was absolutely brilliant, but among the present drivers I put him in a league of his own.” Moss is equally impressed by Schumacher’s performances in wet weather “I see something of a pre-war German driver. “Forcible without being foolhardy – reminds me a lot of Jochen Rindt,” is how Moss puts it.