Australia could have sealed a spot within the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage however it did not cease group captain Lleyton Hewitt from slamming the competitors’s format as “ridiculous” and ripping one specific element as “silly.”
This previous week in Valencia, Australia earned back-to-back wins over France and the Czech Republic earlier than shedding to Spain 1-2 on the ultimate day of the grouš stage when the whole lot was already sealed.
Nevertheless, it’s not that Australia’s expedition in Valencia was a cakewalk since they have been with out their top-ranked participant Alex de Minaur who was battling a hip difficulty. Additionally, their greatest doubles duo – Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell – arrived very drained since they performed the US Open last simply three days earlier. And whereas Thompson managed to play in a single singles match, he did not play doubles in any respect as Purcell – though he was drained – teamed up with Matt Ebden in three matches.
Fortuitously for Hewitt’s facet, Alexei Popyrin and Thanasi Kokkinakis have been a bit more energizing they usually mixed for a complete of 4 singles wins.
Hewitt: That is the silly half…
After calling out the format as a result of he did not suppose it made sense to have the Davis Cup performed simply two days after the US Open last, the previous two-time Grand Slam champion additionally stated it was “silly” to have his group and Spain play towards one another after they already secured a quarterfinal ticket.
“We’ve had a couple of guys this week fairly banged up. It could have been very simple for a couple of of my boys to not flip up this week, however they’ve come and placed on the inexperienced and gold and have finished completely the whole lot I’ve requested of them, so I’m tremendous proud. To try to ask gamers to play the second day after a Grand Slam finishes [is] not simple,” Hewitt stated.
“Within the previous (weekend) format, I used to need to do it, however you’d at the least have till Friday earlier than you needed to play. Now to play on Tuesday, it’s ridiculous. That’s the silly a part of this format, isn’t it? You realize, I can maintain saying it. However the format is what it’s, and we’ll do what we have to do to get by means of and provides ourselves an opportunity of hopefully holding up the trophy.”
Australia will now attempt to win their Davis Cup title since 2003 when the knockout stage takes place in Malaga between November 09-14.
