Australia receives tough Davis Cup draw with former superpower Sweden first opponent

Australia has been presented with a potentially tricky path to the Davis Cup Final 8 as it continues its quest for a first win since 2003.

With the competition reverting to home-or-away ties rather than a round-robin group stage, Lleyton Hewitt's team must travel to Sweden, then, should they win, beat Belgium or Chile in the second round to progress to the Final 8.

That will be played in November in Italy, home of the holders, who have won the right to host the Final 8 for the next three years, replacing Malaga, in Spain. Bologna will be the venue for the 2025 event.

With the ATP finals in Turin, and Jannik Sinner the world number one , Italy — who was given a wildcard to the Final 8 — increasingly appears to be the home of men's tennis.

Under competition regulations the losing 2024 finalists Netherlands, the world number four, received the second wildcard granting it a bye into the second round of the qualifiers rather than second-ranked Australia, beaten finalists in 2022 and 2023, and a semi-finalist this year.

Jannik Sinner's Italy is placing itself as the home of global tennis. (Getty Images: BSR Agency/Marleen Fouchier)

The tie with Sweden evokes memories of the days when it and Australia were titans of men's tennis.

In both 1983 and 1986 the pair met in the final, on the grass of Kooyong, Melbourne. Australia won each time with Pat Cash, John Fitzgerald, Paul McNamee, and (in 1983 only) Mark Edmondson making up the victorious home team.

While Australian men's tennis is on a resurgence Sweden are far from the power they were when they won this competition six times from 1984-1998.

Now without a single player in the top 300, though still 20th in the Davis Cup rankings, Sweden reached the qualifiers after defeating India in the World Group. Its singles players in that match were its top-ranked pair: Elias Ymer, now world 329 after dropping 174 places in 2024, and Leo Borg, son of the great Bjorn, at 546.

The Swedes do have two doubles players in the top 200, Andre Goransson (66) and Filip Bergevi (124). However, Australia has a battery of top-100 players in both singles and doubles and should progress even if Sweden can choose the surface.

This tie will be played January 31-February 2, immediately after the Australian Open which concludes in Melbourne on January 26.

Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson during a quarterfinal tie against USA. (Getty Images: Giampiero Sposito)

The second round is likely to be tricker. Chile, ranked 16, has two top-40 players, Alejandro Tabilo (23) and Nicolas Jarry (35). Belgium's best are David Goffin (52) and Zizou Bergs (71) but the world number 14 team do have the 31-ranked doubles duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 31.

This will be played September 12-14, shortly after the US Open which concludes on September 7.

Among other ties thrown up by Monday's draw in London third seed Canada hosts Hungary, fourth seed Germany was drawn against Israel, USA travels to Taiwan, Great Britain goes to Japan and Spain hosts Switzerland.

AAP

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