Rd 1 2007 Australia v Belgium

Liege, Belgium Feb 9-11

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Belgium won 4-1

 

Australia begins the quest for a 29th trophy at the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas as Lleyton Hewitt heads the charge against Belgium starting Friday. The tie, on indoor clay at the Country Hall du Sart-Tilman in the hills surrounding Liege, will be a test of fire for Hewitt, the former No. 1 struggling to improve upon a ranking which has slipped to 18th.

The full draw is as follows:

Kristof Vliegen (BEL) v Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Olivier Rochus (BEL) v Chris Guccione (AUS)
Dick Norman/Christophe Rochus (BEL) v Paul Hanley/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Olivier Rochus (BEL) v Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Kristof Vliegen (BEL) v Chris Guccione (BEL)

The Australian, who turns 26 in a fortnight, is pencilled in for a full-time load this weekend, starting with opening singles on Friday against Belgium's Kristof Vliegen. That pair have never met.

"He's our spearhead, that's no secret," said Australian captain John Fitzgerald, who will pit Hewitt and Paul Hanley in Saturday doubles against Dick Norman and Christophe Rochus. "He's a great presence on the court. He's been the best Davis Cup player in the world over the past six or seven years. We're glad to have him on our team."

Australia stand 2-0 in the nation’s head to head, with the last tie played in Perth in 1991, a 5-0 sweep for the hosts. The teams first met in 1922, with that contest played in Great Britain.

Hewitt, whose third round exit at the Australian Open last month against eventual finalist Fernando Gonzalez put a damper on his early season, is thinking no further ahead than this crucial weekend. "I'm working now on trying to get us through to the quarters. My focus this week is to get as many wins as possible, said Hewitt."

Hewitt has been a solid supporter of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, making his debut in 1999 and posting a 28-7 singles record.

Belgium will field Olivier Rochus against Chris Guccione in Friday's second singles, with Hewitt due to play Rochus in Sunday's reverse singles. Guccione, playing in his fourth tie, takes on Vliegen.

"It would be nice to get through in three matches," said the optimistic Guccione, who is hovering outside the Top 100. "But I've played Davis Cup before and I know what to expect. Hopefully I can play my game. I've had good results on clay and I'm looking forward to a good match."

Captain Fitzgerald is well-pleased by the indoor clay surface upon which his fast-court players will battle the Europeans. "The speed is good, we're happy. We're impressed, it's very good. It’s low-bouncing and that probably suits both teams."

Fitzgerald is quietly confident after putting his team though its paces for more than a week in Europe. "We know it will be difficult, they have three players in the Top 100 - we have one [Hewitt]. But we have a good mix of youth and experience, all of our guys have played live rubbers and done well. We're confident - but not silly enough to be over-confident.”