Aussies sweating on Davis Cup draw

Australia are hoping to avoid a dreaded away showdown with Roger Federer’s Switzerland when the 2015 Davis Cup draw takes place early on Friday morning.

It’s been eight long years since Australia progressed beyond the first round in the World Group and the playing future of Cup warrior Lleyton Hewitt hinges on a favourable draw in Dubai.

After seven years stranded in regional qualifying, Hewitt helped pilot Australia back to the elite 16-nation top tier in 2014 only to cop a 5-0 first-round hammering in France.

The 28-times champion nation once again won a World Group playoff at the weekend, whitewashing Uzbekistan 5-0 in Perth, and are now sweating on the tennis gods to deliver some long overdue luck in the draw.

The odds are in Australia’s favour, with five of their potential first-round match-ups to be played on home turf.

If the unseeded Australians draw either top seeds France, fourth seeds Serbia, fifth seeds Argentina, sixth seeds Italy or the seventh-seeded USA, Pat Rafter’s team will host the tie next March.

But if they strike the second-seeded Swiss or third-seeded Czech Republic, Australia must travel to Europe once again as underdogs to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006.

Hosting rights for a possible clash with eighth seeds Canada would be determined by an old-fashioned coin toss because the two nations last met back in the amateur era in 1964.

Facing Switzerland, likely to be led by Federer and reigning Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka, would be a nightmare scenario for Hewitt and company.

The Swiss are through to this year’s final against France and could well be the defending champions in 2015.

With young guns Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis emerging as long-term forces in the game capable of helping Bernard Tomic to revive Australia’s Davis Cup glory days, Rafter and Hewitt are optimistic about the team’s future prospects.

Hewitt, though, is desperate for one last shot at winning the prestigious teams’ event himself for the third time and knows 2015 looms as is his final chance.

Australia’s most prolific Davis Cup singles winner turns 34 in February and is entering his 17th year in the competition.

Another first-round exit would almost certainly bring down the curtain on his distinguished Cup career.

Beyond playing, the former world No.1 and two-time grand slam champion is favoured to succeed Rafter as Australia’s Davis Cup captain.

The 2015 draw will be conducted at 1am Friday AEST.

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