Bring out the best

Hewitt ready to lead Australia in Davis Cup match

Lleyton Hewitt will play both singles and doubles for Australia. Adam Pretty/Getty Images

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Lleyton Hewitt knows firsthand how Davis Cup tennis can bring out the best in underdogs in difficult situations. He wants to make sure it doesn't happen Friday when Australia starts first-round world group play against an injury-depleted Britain.

Hewitt will play singles and doubles for Australia against a British team missing its two top players, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski. As a result, Mark Philippoussis, ranked 94th in the world, will open singles play Friday against Alan Mackin, ranked 331st, while world No. 1 Hewitt takes on 457th-ranked Alex Bogdanovic.

Both Mackin and Bogdanovic, who have been playing mostly challenger and satellite tournaments in the past year, will be making their Davis Cup debuts.

Hewitt was 18 in July, 1999 when he was in the same position. It was a quarterfinal world group match against the United States in Brookline, Massachusetts. Hewitt, who had just moved into the top 100 of world rankings, was up against the gray-haired, 29-year-old Todd Martin, then ranked fourth.

The pesky Hewitt, ignoring a wild hometown crowd, upset Martin and Australia went on to win the quarterfinal when Pat Rafter clinched it in the opening reverse singles match on Sunday.

Hewitt says Britain, with nothing to lose, may feel the same way Friday.

"They might just love to go out there and be the underdog," Hewitt said after Thursday's draw. "This week, we just have to play as if we are the best players in the world and get the job done."

"You always want a quick kill, but if I get dragged into a dogfight, I could care less as long as I win."

Britain has not beaten Australia in Davis Cup since 1978, when it had a 3-2 win at Crystal Palace in London. The Australians lead 7-4 in head-to-heads, including 4-1 wins in the most recent contests at Adelaide, Australia in 1983 and at Wimbledon in 1986.

Mackin, 21, may provide Britain with its best shot of the weekend when he takes on Philippoussis in the opening match on clay at the Sydney International Tennis Center, the former Olympic venue.

Tennis Australia placed a clay court over the hardcourt surface to counter what was expected to have been Henman and Rusedski's advantage on a hardcourt. But Mackin, who played against Hewitt as a junior, later trained with claycourt specialist Thomas Muster and feels most comfortable on that surface.

"You have to approach it in a positive frame of mind and make an impression on the game and believe there is a chance to win," said the Scotsman. "You should never go on to a match court feeling you have no chance because there is no point playing the match."

Philippoussis, who said he may need a cup of coffee to get him kick-started for the 10 a.m. (2300GMT Thursday) start, has no game plan for Mackin.

"It's five sets, a lot of tennis out there," said Philippoussis. "I can watch and see how he plays his game. The main thing is for me to play mine."

In doubles Saturday, Hewitt and Todd Woodbridge will take on Arvind Parmar and Miles Maclagan. The reverse singles will be played Sunday.

Hewitt could be replaced by Wayne Arthurs for the Saturday doubles if a "dogfight" ensues with Bogdanovic

The Zambian-born Maclagan, who retired for nearly a year three years ago, won a doubles match with Henman last year over Thailand. He's promised that Britain will "go out there, get stuck in and leave our blood and skin on the court."

British captain Roger Taylor wasn't quite as gung-ho.

"We are aware of the discrepancy in the ranking list, so they've got to play the match of a lifetime, and be hopeful that they can deal with the occasion," said Taylor. "It's a very big occasion."

 

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