Australia’s Davis Cup team have been able to celebrate reaching the Davis Cup finals — without even having to hit a ball in anger.
Davis Cup
Finals qualifiers (so far)
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Eight teams will compete in the Davis Cup finals in November
Lleyton Hewitt’s team were thrilled to reach November’s eight-team showdown on their day off, their qualification guaranteed after Spain defeated France in their group B clash in Valencia.
The Australians booked their place with two victories — 2-1 over France and 3-0 against the Czech Republic — earlier in the week.
And it means there will be no final-day sweating for captain Hewitt on Sunday when his team face the Carlos Alcaraz-inspired hosts in the final group fixture in front of a partisan Spanish full-house.
Instead, Hewitt’s men can head to the finals, with their sights on going one better than in the last two years when they finished runners-up, beaten by Canada in the final in 2022 and Italy last year.
Spain have now also qualified for the week-long finals, to be held on their home court in Malaga in November, after they followed up their win over the Czechs with another victory.
The Spanish were indebted to a dogged win by Roberto Bautista-Agut, who came back from the brink of defeat to outlast Arthur Fils 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the opening rubber.
Then Alcaraz, the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon champion, was in imperious mood on the indoor hard court as he wrapped up the triumph with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ugo Humbert.
AAP
