For Tennis Now | @Itenisi_Manje | Monday, September 16, 2024
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty for ITF
Lleyton Hewitt wealth Davis Cup competition, but says the demanding Davis Cup organized could throw the players’ bodies into the trash.
Hall of Famer and Australian captain Hewitt praised his players for making it to the Davis Cup Final 8 and went through the process that forced other players to fly from New York for the US Open to Spain for the Davis Cup Group. B Valencia, Spain.
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2023 Davis Cup finalists Australia beat Czechia and France before bowing out to Spain to secure their place in the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga, Spain, November 19-24.
Hewitt said he was happy with the commitment of his players, but was annoyed by the demanding Davis Cup calendar Max Purcell, who cooperated Jordan Thompson in the US Open doubles on Saturday, September 7, to play the Davis Cup doubles on Tuesday in Valencia. Hewitt called the calendar “absurd.”
“We came with one goal: to get to the finals, and we achieved it. I’m proud of the boys and the effort they put in,” said Hewitt. “It’s not easy this week on the calendar.
“Asking them to play two days after the Grand Slam ended is not easy. In the old way you had to do it too but until Friday you didn’t play. Playing on Tuesday is ridiculous. I can’t be proud of myself. The guys and the effort they made, the whole country is proud and we will be ready for November.”
The draw for the Davis Cup Final 8 will be held on Thursday, September 19.
Australia will face defending champions Italy or the United States in their Davis Cup final.
Captain Hewitt, who loved the old Davis Cup matches, says he will continue to complain about the way he tries to help Australia win back the Davis Cup.
“That’s the stupid part of the plan, isn’t it? You know, I keep saying it,” Hewitt said. “But it is the way it is, and we will do what we have to do to win and give ourselves a chance to hope to win the trophy.”
