15 March 2017 | Tennis Queensland

Australia’s Junior Davis Cup team is as tall on talent as it is on pride.

The squad of Stefan Storch (Vic) Rinky Hijikata (NSW) Ken Cavrak (Vic) and Dane Sweeny (QLD) are yet to drop a match in New Delhi, with the boys beating Singapore 3-0 this morning, after beating Indonesia 3-0 yesterday.

Stefan Storch and Rinky Hijakata cruised through in straight sets in the singles rubbers against Singapore, with Storch also partnering Ken Cavrak in the doubles, winning 6-0 6-0.

“It’s a great experience coaching a young Aussie team. They absorb plenty of information at this age and want nothing more than to represent their country well, I think this is an important age to instill the values we want in the older athletes representing our country,”said team coach Ben Mathias.

“I remind the players what I need from the team’s perspective on a daily basis not always the individual. We prepare well, we work hard and we support each other.”

It seems the team environment is working wonders for the promising young side – which is well on the way to qualifying in top spot.

“Our first goal is to make Semi’s and qualify but I see no reason why we can’t Qualify 1 with this team,” Mathis added.

Playing in New Delhi is also a challenge in itself – a country that is no mean feat for anyone –  let alone teenage boys.

Mathias has found himself educating the young team in more ways than one.

“India can be difficult. The biggest challenges are off the court. Boys this age don’t always think of the finer details so avoiding the team getting sick is one of the biggest challenges as a coach.”

The team’s next head-to-head is against Korea, another country that is yet to lose a match in New Delhi.