Lleyton Hewitt has hailed his Davis Cup warriors as each Jordan Thompson and Alex de Minaur supplied steely impressions of their captain with never-say-die triumphs that bundled Australia into the semi-finals.
De Minaur continued his breathtaking latest win report in Cup singles as he wrapped up the 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in Tuesday’s opening quarter-final tie in Malaga with some dazzling fare that downed rising Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 5-7 6-3 6-4.
Yet after his ninth win in his final 10 singles rubbers, Australia’s No.1 mentioned he’d solely taken his lead from battling lead-off man Jordan Thompson, Hewitt’s shock selection who prevailed in one other compelling marathon with Tallon Griekspoor 4-6 7-5 6-3.
“I think it was just incredible what Jordan was able to do today. The fight, the passion, the heart that he showed, just to dig really, really deep and get through that one was a huge inspiration to me,” de Minaur mentioned.
“It’s great for us Sydneysiders, an honour to be part of this team,” the 23-year-old added, after reserving a date on Friday with both hosts Spain or Croatia in Australia’s first semi-final for 5 years.
Australia have not received the World Cup of males’s tennis since 2003, when Hewitt was enjoying within the profitable staff – however after the opening day of the week-long finals within the Spanish seaside resort, de Minaur was adamant: “We’re in it to win it!”
The staff had a follow camp in Paris final week, and Hewitt was so impressed by Thompson’s kind and angle there that he selected him because the opener somewhat than Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was in need of singles play and had struggled final week with Nick Kyrgios within the ATP Finals doubles.
“Of course, I’d missed the Davis Cup, and was extremely honoured (to learn I’d been picked),” mentioned Thompson, who’d not performed within the competitors since March 2020 however has a tremendous singles report [now 5-2].
“Me and Alex, we looked up to Lleyton. I think probably for both of us, our tennis idol.
“So to see him on the facet of the court docket and having his similar preventing spirit is one thing I’m certain he likes to see. When he is on the sideline, I could not really feel extra comfy.”
Hewitt did love to see it, for Thompson vindicated his call, shutting out the noise from the Dutch orange army of fans while basically outlasting and outfighting Griekspoor after he’d flirted with defeat at a set and break point down at 5-5 in the second stanza.
With his opponent flagging physically in the near three-hour dogfight, Thompson’s superior fitness told as he demonstrated afterwards by flashing his flexed right bicep to the crowd, adorned with its patriotic tattoos.
De Minaur was just as indomitable in another tight, high-quality contest with the more powerful world No.35 van de Zandschulp, coming up with some truly remarkable, Djokovic-like tennis in a crucial penultimate game hold littered with fabulous winners from both players.
After missing out on a break point in that key game, the Dutchman’s spirit faded as he then coughed up a double fault en route to being broken to love, leaving de Minaur’s mum Esther to sob with joy at courtside.
Hewitt reckoned he could not have been more proud too.
“They love carrying the inexperienced and gold, they will go to a different stage – and each these boys did tonight.”
