A month after Lleyton Hewitt’s retirement at the Australian Open, Australia’s greatest tennis warrior will face his first test as Davis Cup captain when they come up against the United States, at Kooyong this weekend.
Friends in the commentary box, Hewitt and opposing captain Jim Courier turn rivals fighting for a place in the quarter-finals, where Belgium or Croatia will await in July.
Already the Aussies have been dealt a huge blow, with the in-form Nick Kyrgios ruled out of the tie due to illness and a back injury he sustained in Dubai, where he was forced to forfeit his semi-final against eventual champion Stan Wawrinka.
That came a week after he won his first ATP World Tour title in Marseille, where he defeated former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the final, and didn’t drop a set nor his serve.
Australia’s major singles hope, Bernard Tomic, is coming off a solid week in which he reached the final in Acapulco, missing out on what would have been the biggest title of his career to rising Austrian Dominic Thiem in three sets.
Tomic and reigning John Newcombe Medallist Sam Groth face Jack Sock and John Isner respectively on Friday, before swapping opponents for Sunday’s reverse singles.
Groth, who has endured a poor start to the season, will pair with debutant John Peers for Saturday’s doubles rubber against the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike. Given that Groth may play up to three matches, Hewitt could replace the Victorian for Sunday’s reverse singles, against Sock.
That could see Hewitt face Sock for the second time on Australian soil this year, after they met at the Hopman Cup in January – the match in which Sock graciously convinced Hewitt to challenge a call that cost the American.
If Hewitt does come out of retirement, he would become the first Davis Cup captain in history to play a live rubber.
Sock is coming off a disappointing Australian Open, losing to Lukas Rosol in the second round, while Isner, known to many for winning the longest professional match in tennis history at Wimbledon in 2010, lost to David Ferrer in the fourth round. The Bryan brothers were knocked out in the doubles third round.
If Australia wins, they will either face Croatia at home or Belgium away for a place in the semi-finals the week after Wimbledon, and thus keep their place in the 2017 World Group. Otherwise they will enter the World Group play-offs in September, fighting to avoid demotion to Zonal Group I.
Schedule
Friday, March 4 – Singles
Sam Groth versus John Isner
Bernard Tomic versus Jack Sock
Saturday, March 5 – Doubles
Groth/Peers versus B Bryan/M Bryan
Sunday, March 6 – Reverse singles
Bernard Tomic versus John Isner
Sam Groth versus Jack Sock
Prediction
United States 4-1
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