TENNIS ROUNDUP : Australians Switch to Clay Against Italy

After dethroning the defending champion United States, Australia will face a change of surface today when it meets Italy in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup.

The Australians must adjust their powerful grass-court game to the red clay of the Cascine Club of Florence, while Italy must cope without the services of its top player.

Also in quarterfinal action this weekend, India visits France, Sweden plays at the Netherlands and the Czech Republic plays at Germany.

Wimbledon champions Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who sealed the Australians’ 4-1 first-round victory over the Americans at Melbourne four months ago, again will team up for the doubles match Saturday. Woodforde also was chosen in Thursday’s draw to play in singles matches today and Sunday.

The opening match will feature 23-year-old Italian Renzo Furlan against Richard Fromberg. Furlan, making his Davis Cup debut, was a last-minute substitute for Italian No. 1 Omar Camporese, who is injured. Woodforde will play Stefano Pescosolido in the second match.

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Steffi Graf hopes to play in the Federation Cup next week, but Mary Pierce suddenly quit the French team on Thursday, citing personal reasons.

Graf said she will not make her decision until after practicing today.

Pierce said her decision had “nothing to do with her father,” according to International Tennis Federation officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Jim Pierce has been barred from the Women’s Tennis Assn. events for the rest of the year for disrupting play at the French Open in May. He was involved in a scuffle with his daughter’s bodyguard in an Italian hotel on Monday.

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Niclas Kroon of Sweden, seeded 14th, knocked out third-seeded Alexander Volkov of Russia, 6-2, 6-3, in the third round of the U.S. Pro Championships at Brookline, Mass.

In another third-round match, 11th-seeded Patrick Baur of Germany upset Richey Reneberg, 6-2, 7-5.

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Top-seeded Ines Gorrochategui of Argentina defeated Asa Carlsson of Sweden, 6-2, 6-1, in their second-round match at the Prague Open. . . . Fifth-seeded Judith Wiesner defeated fellow Austrian Sandra Dopfer, 6-1, 6-2, in the only match completed in the rain-plagued Austrian Open clay-court tournament at Kitzbuehel.