World number two Lleyton Hewitt will lead Australia’s Davis Cup first-round tennis tie against 144th-ranked Austrian Alexander Peya on grass in Sydney on Friday.
Australia’s second singles player, Wayne Arthurs, who won his first career ATP Tour final in Arizona last weekend, will take on Austria’s number-one player, Jurgen Melzer, in the other singles on Friday.
Australian captain John Fitzgerald designated Arthurs to team up with doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge in Saturday’s doubles against the Austrian pair of Julian Knowle and Peya.
In Sunday’s reverse singles, Hewitt will take on Melzer, ranked 34th in the world, in the battle of the national number ones, and Arthurs has a match with Peya.
Austria defeated Australia 5-0 at their last Davis Cup meeting in Vienna in 1989, in which they played on a clay court laid over carpet.
But the Australians are seeking to reinforce their home advantage by laying a drop-in grass court on the Sydney Olympic tennis centre’s main court.
Australia have won the Davis Cup 28 times, second only to the United States, and last won the annual tennis teams’ trophy in 2003 against Spain in Melbourne on grass.
Austria are yet to lift the trophy, with their best performance being a semifinal appearance in 1990. — Sapa-AFP