An article from: La Repubblica

THE FINAL IN MELBOURNE. 1 all after the first two singles in Melbourne; Edberg (sixteen double faults) wasted an advantage of 5-1 in the first set, losing after almost four hours; Pernfors, surprisingly drawn out by the coach Olsson, destroyed McNamee in 91 minutes.Sweden, an immediately troubled tie

MELBOURNE - "It will be the hardest final of all the ones we played". One all after the first two singles, Hans Olsson is without Wilander, he risked, he's risking.

He risked choosing Pernfors as second singles player, but he did the right thing.

Things went really bad for Edberg, instead. Cash didn't leave him a set in the opening match. One all between Australia and Sweden, and, if tonight it's already over, the doubles match, played too late to be reported, will have surely been decisive.

"My players are ready to do their best, I insist that we are favorite" says Neale Fraser, Australian captain. It was very windy at Kooyong stadium: a little apology for Edberg, who can blame the wind for his sixteen double faults. But the Swede, number 5 in the world (Cash is just 24), won the last edition of the Australian Open, grass is his surface, since a couple of year he's regularly among the favorites in Wimbledon.

He was 5-1 up, with Cash. He served twice for the first set: on 5-1, then on 5-3. "I always felt I could win, because I was playing a little better than him. Yes, also on 5-1 at the start". Cash said. He remained stuck on him, following his conviction. And once again, as too often happens to him, Edberg couldn't find the strength to finish the opponent.

Cash recovered 'till 5-5, then a long battle of nerves. Won by the Australian: Edberg lost his serve in the 23rd game, and the set as well immediately after. Thirteen-eleven; and 13-11 ended also the second set, with a first break by Cash on 8-8, and the decisive one again on 11-11.

"I returned better than him, I played better on the important points" Cash said. "It's difficult to play with that wind, I had problems to find the timing. There was nothing to do. I can only say it's been a bad day for me", concluded Edberg. Almost a formality the third set. Cash broke the Swede on the fifth game, then all regular till the 6-4. The match length: 3 hs and 45 minutes.