Davis Cup : Cash Beats Pernfors to Give Australia Its 26th Title

Pat Cash rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Sweden’s Mikael Pernfors, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, today (Sunday) and clinch the 1986 Davis Cup title for Australia.

It was the second time Australia has played Sweden on the grass courts of Kooyong in the final, and the second time the Aussies have prevailed. Australia also defeated Sweden in the Davis Cup final in 1983.

It was Australia’s 26th Davis Cup victory. Only the United States, with 28 titles, has won more.

Cash, ranked 24th in the world, won all three of his matches in the final, beating Edberg in the opening singles Friday and then teaming with John Fitzgerald to defeat Edberg and Anders Jarryd in Saturday’s doubles, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

In a meaningless final match, cut to the best-of-three sets, Sweden’s Stefan Edberg beat Paul McNamee, 10-8, 6-4, thus making the final score in the competition 3-2 for Australia.

Two-time NCAA champion Pernfors, a former University of Georgia standout, stunned a sellout 11,000 crowd with his excellent play in the first two sets.

Playing only the sixth match of his career on grass, Pernfors out-dueled Cash time and again. But cheered on by his hometown crowd, Cash broke Pernfors’ service in the fourth game of the third set and gradually turned the tide.

Dictating the pace, Pernfors took the opening set in 30 minutes and the second in 54 minutes.

One break in each of the third and fourth sets was enough to get Cash even.

A superb forehand passing shot and a backhand stop volley by Cash clinched the all-important service break in the fifth game of the final set. Cash then broke his opponent again in the final game, Pernfors netting a forehand under pressure.