Alexei Popyrin will step as much as spearhead Australia’s push to achieve one other Davis Cup closing after being requested by captain Lleyton Hewitt to tackle the troublesome second singles spot within the last-four tie with Finland.
Alex de Minaur will, as regular, be Hewitt’s fundamental man and can tackle Finland’s solely top-100 ranked participant Emil Ruusuvuori within the second rubber on Friday (Saturday AEDT) of their quest to win the world group title for the primary time in 20 years.
But the opposite singles position has always proved a headache for Hewitt to fill after defeats in that slot this yr for Thanasi Kokkinakis, Max Purcell and, in Wednesday’s quarter-final in opposition to the Czech Republic, Jordan Thompson.
So Popyrin, who was solely drafted late into the squad after Kokkinakis picked up an damage, has been given his probability to make the place his personal as he kicks off the tie in opposition to Finland’s quarter-final hero Otto Virtanen.
Popyrin, Australia’s second-highest ranked participant at world No.40 after a wonderful yr, ought to begin as sizzling favorite in opposition to the world No.171 Virtanen, having already crushed him in straight units this yr in a Challenger occasion in Manama.
But Virtanen had an impressed quarter-final because the Finns brought about the feeling of the match by knocking out champions Canada, profitable each his singles and doubles.
The greatest news for the Finns is the return of by far their prime participant Ruusuvuori after a shoulder damage stored him out of the Canada tie, however in world No.12 de Minaur, he is going through a participant who’s received 10 of his final 12 Davis Cup singles.
If the tie goes all the way down to a deciding doubles, the trusty Australian pairing of Matt Ebden and Purcell will tackle Harri Heliovaara and Patrik Niklas-Salminen, although the nominations will be modified earlier than play begins.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
