Lleyton Hewitt confirms to play the Davis Cup tie – Tennis News
Australian legend, Lleyton Hewitt, is geared up to play for Australia at the Davis Cup tie against China. His side which comprises of Bernard Tomic, Matthew Ebden and Chris Guccione will host this Asia/Oceanic Group I tie at the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club this weekend.
Australian captain Pat Rafter chose the former world number one for his second singles player. Despite his compatriot, Ebden, standing at a higher spot in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Rankings, Rafter picked Hewitt for the singles. He thinks that the former Australian Open and the US Open champion is still in great form and it will be unfair to rule him out after looking at his injury-plagued 2011 season. The Aussie captain also believes that injuries shocked Hewitt’s ranking and not his form.
"Lleyton will be playing singles," Rafter told reporters after the practice. "... Lleyton is ready and Lleyton's ranking is no reflection of how he's hitting the ball. To me he is back in the top 20 in terms of how he is hitting the ball."
Currently ranked 130th in the ATP rankings, Hewitt skipped much of 2011 due to injuries. However, he shelved a title at the Kooyong Classic and made final eight berths at the SAP Open, Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Gerry Weber Open last season.
Regardless of a disappointing performance at the Hopman Cup and exiting from the opening round at the Apia International Sydney, Hewitt unveiled his true colours at the Australian Open 2012. He stunned the fifteenth seed, Andy Roddick, and the 23rd seed, Milos Raonic, to cruise into the pre-quarters at this prestigious tennis tournament held in Melbourne, Australia. In spite of falling to the eventual champion, world number one Novak Djokovic, he displayed tremendous skills and impressed everyone including Rafter.
The Aussie is ready to take down China in his record-equalling 32nd Davis Cup appearance. He will most like face Ze Zhang and Di Wu for his singles and reverse singles matches.
Hewitt will also team up with Guccione to play the doubles match on Saturday. They will most probably face the Chinese duo of Ya-Nan MA and Zhe Li.
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