Veteran Lleyton Hewitt is on standby to break his short-lived retirement if Australia need their new captain against the United States in this weekend’s Davis Cup World Group tie in Melbourne.
World number 27 Nick Kyrgios withdrew before Thursday’s draw with a virus and back trouble, with Hewitt, in charge as Australia captain for the first time, nominated as his replacement.
But Hewitt, 35, who was thought to have played his last competitive match at the Australian Open in January, did not name himself in Friday’s singles or Saturday’s pivotal doubles rubbers, instead preferring to use 77th-ranked Sam Groth.
Groth will open the tie on grass at Kooyong in Melbourne against big-serving American John Isner, ranked 11, while Australia’s top-ranked Bernard Tomic faces world number 24 Jack Sock in Friday’s singles.
Groth was nominated to partner doubles specialist John Peers in Saturday’s showdown against multiple Grand Slam-winners Bob and Mike Bryan.
But that decision can be changed up until an hour before the pivotal rubber, leaving open the possibility that Hewitt could take his place in the doubles.
“We’ll just see how it pans out,” Hewitt said at the draw.
“We’ve got to put our best options forward every single day and we will have a look at it after each day’s play and see how Sam plays and pulls up after his singles.”