Hewitt To Replace Kyrgios in Davis Cup Against USA
Despite announcing he would retire following the Australian Open, Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt’s career is not over just yet. The 35-year old Adelaide native and captain of the Australian Davis Cup team announced he will be replacing Nick Kyrgios in Australia’s World Group First Round against the United States this weekend.
“We took him through his paces this morning and gave him a little fitness test to see how he pulled up from yesterday, but he just wasn’t fit enough to play this weekend,” Hewitt said of Kyrgios who is dealing with a virus. “It’s bad timing for us but it was really out of our hands.”
Hewitt has won 58 of the 78 singles and doubles matches he has played in the Davis Cup since his debut in 1999, including titles in 1999 and 2003.
With Kyrgios out, Sam Groth will take on American John Isner in the opening singles match, while Bernard Tomic will play Jack Sock at second singles.
The doubles match on Saturday is scheduled to be Sam Groth and John Peers against Bob and Mike Bryan, but with the lineups allowed to be changed the morning of the match, there is a chance Hewitt could replace Groth in that doubles contest.
“We’ll just see how it pans out,” said Hewitt. “We’ve got to put our best options forward every single day and we will have a look at it after each day’s play and see how Sam plays and pulls up after singles.”
This weekend will be the 46th meeting between the United States and Australia, the first since the 1999 quarterfinals.
