Aussies fearless in 'group of death' at ATP Cup

2 years ago 326

Australia's ATP Cup skipper Lleyton Hewitt has acknowledged the tricky task awaiting his players successful the tournament, which kicks disconnected today.

The location federation volition instrumentality the tribunal time against Italy, with James Duckworth taking connected Jannik Sinner and Alex De Minaur facing Matteo Berrettini. Ties against Russia and France volition follow.

"It's an highly pugnacious group," Hewitt said.

The 2022 ATP Cup volition beryllium held successful Sydney from January 1-9, with unrecorded matches, highlights, mini matches and afloat lucifer replays connected Stan Sport. New customers tin commencement their escaped proceedings present by visiting: Stan.com.au/tennis

"Our boys person got thing to lose."

Hewitt described the tourney arsenic a "good accidental to spell retired determination arsenic the underdogs successful a mates of matches and truly instrumentality it and trial themselves".

"They've each been grooming highly hard successful these conditions, arsenic well. So they'll beryllium good prepared erstwhile they get the opportunity," helium said.

The Aussie squad is rounded retired by Max Purcell, John Peers, and Luke Saville.

The operation radical of decease is thrown astir a batch successful planetary competitions, but Australia are good and genuinely up against it here. Sinner and Berrettini are some ranked successful the apical 10 successful the satellite close now, and Russia has satellite fig 2 Daniil Medvedev.

France are the lone squad ranked beneath Australia successful the tourney but it volition inactive beryllium pugnacious with 2 apical 60 players successful Ugo Humbert (35) and Arthur Rinderknech (58).

De Minaur was astatine 1 signifier ranked arsenic precocious arsenic 15th successful the satellite but presently sits astatine 34, with Duckworth 49th.

"I deliberation this is the quality of the ATP Cup astatine the commencement of the year," De Minaur told reporters.

"I've experienced it before, and it's a large mode to benignant of spot wherever I'm at. These are the benignant of matches I privation to beryllium playing. It's a large situation for me, which I'm looking guardant to."

Unlike a batch of different competitions with radical signifier formats that reward 2 teams from each quartet, lone the apical broadside present volition advance, consecutive to a semi-final, truthful each necktie is crucial.

"I'm conscionable truly looking guardant to being backmost present successful Sydney, playing successful beforehand of an astonishing ambiance and hopefully packed crowds," de Minaur said.

"We've got specified fond memories from playing connected Ken Rosewall Arena, truthful I'm itching to get backmost retired determination and vie and correspond the greenish and gold. It's ever a immense honour."

The 16-team tourney begins contiguous with Chile v Spain and Serbia v Norway successful Group A, and Argentina v Georgia and Greece v Poland successful Group D.

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