After beating France in its opening tie on the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage, Australia subsequent turns its consideration to the problem posed by Czech Republic.
Valencia, Spain, 12 September 2024 | Matt Trollope
Australia will look to proceed its so-far-unbeaten run on the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage when it takes on Czech Republic on Thursday afternoon in Valencia (Friday 12am AEST).
The Aussies started with a 2-1 tie victory over France two days in the past, and subsequent meet a Czech squad coming off a 3-0 loss to hosts Spain.
> READ MORE: Australia edges out thrilling victory in opposition to France
What’s extra, the Czechs suffered a possible setback when No.1 singles participant Tomas Machac endured bodily issues – regarded as cramping – which pressured him to retire early within the third set of his singles rubber in opposition to Carlos Alcaraz.
Nonetheless, Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt is just not taking them calmly.
“It’s going to be a tricky tie. Our two remaining ties are going to be robust,” mentioned Hewitt, additionally referencing Australia’s upcoming tie in opposition to Spain on Sunday.
“Machac’s now clearly the No.1 on rating as properly; [Jiri] Lehecka’s No.2. [Jakub] Mensik they may throw in as properly, who’s a top quality participant who performed properly in New York.
“They’ve received loads of choices, they usually have a superb doubles crew as properly. So received’t be taking something as a right.”
The Aussies and the Czechs have met 10 instances in Davis Cup play, with Australia profitable 9 of these ties, together with the previous 4.
The latest of these got here in final yr’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Australia received 2-1 to advance to the semifinal stage, the place a win over Finland catapulted them right into a second straight last.
Australia is in search of its first Davis Cup title since 2003, and twenty ninth general.
And its momentum is constructing in Spain.
Thanasi Kokkinakis’ straight-sets win over Arthur Fils – his sixth singles victory within the crew competitors – put the Aussies in a profitable place earlier than Matt Ebden and Max Purcell clinched the tie in a reside doubles rubber.
Ebden and Purcell have constructed a glowing 7-1 win-loss document in Davis Cup and are undefeated within the competitors since 2022, the identical yr they received the Wimbledon males’s doubles title.
They’re on a five-match profitable streak as a pair in Davis Cup play.
“I simply again the truth that Matty and I achieve this properly once we’re optimistic and play collectively,” mentioned Purcell, after beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, each main doubles champions themselves.
“So any crew that is available in in opposition to us at 1-1 has type of in all probability felt like they’ve misplaced the day anyway.”
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