Excited Childs set for cup debut

TENNIS
Google Maps will be Austen Childs' first point of reference after the 21-year-old Mt Maunganui player yesterday admitted to being in the dark about Hawera, host venue for next month's Davis Cup tie against Pakistan.
"Hawera? I'm not sure ... it's in Taranaki right? said a bemused Childs yesterday from the United States, where he's studying at the University of Louisville.
"Have I been there? Probably not."
Childs, a pronounced American twang in his voice, and another US-based player, Michael Venus, will make their Davis Cup debuts for New Zealand in the July 9-11 Asia-Oceania group two semifinal indoor tie against Pakistan, playing alongside Rubin Statham and Marcus Daniell.
Kiwi No 1 Dan King-Turner is playing in Europe and wasn't available.
Childs is still on a high after he became the first New Zealander to make the final of the NCAA championship two weeks ago, beating a number of seeded players along the way. He has an NCAA ranking of 19.
The Mount-raised player was also a finalist at the New Zealand residential championships in December, where he was beaten by Daniell.
Childs will hook up with Davis Cup captain Marcel Vos, who steered his career as a junior before Childs left three years ago to play and study in Kentucky.
"Davis Cup wasn't part of my thinking (playing the NCAA tournament) - I went out there and played hard and that's about it. (It was) a surprise when Marcel phoned me.
"Marcel's the guy that got it all started though, from when I was 9 up until I went to college, so it'll be great to team up again."
Stuck in land-locked Louisville, Childs yearned for Mt Maunganui beach, although the college scholarship had been the making of him after a couple of years drifting following his run into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open juniors six years ago.
"I've improved a lot; I'm a lot stronger, better baseline and a bigger serve, and I'm more mature than when I came to college. I had a junior mindset back then but now I've grown up and am understanding things better."
Davis Cup was timed ideally for Childs, who is on a three-month summer break from class. He is in no hurry to ditch college, where he is a sophomore, and fast-track a fulltime professional career. "I'll finish my last year at college. I'm having a really good time, learning a lot and improving. I'll finish then look to play a few tournaments."
He knows less about the Pakistan players than he does Hawera (their best is 30-year-old Aisam Qureshi, who has a current ATP doubles ranking of 42 and was ranked as high as 125 in singles).
"I wouldn't know who Pakistan has or how good they are, but it's Davis Cup so it has to be a step up from college tennis. Davis Cup is still meaningful, for sure, and it's a big honour to play for New Zealand. Any time you represent your country you want to give your best - it's more important than my college career actually."
Venus, 22 has spent most of his teenage years living in the US, graduating from Louisiana State University after transferring from the University of Texas. He has an ATP ranking of 530 in singles and 566 in doubles which is expected to rise next week after he won both the singles and doubles - with Daniell - at a Futures tournament in California.