Memories evoked as Australia draw Sweden in Davis Cup

Australia have been presented with a potentially tricky path to the Davis Cup Final 8 as they continue their quest for a first win since 2003.

With the competition reverting to home-or-away ties rather than a round-robin group stage, Lleyton Hewitt's team must travel to Sweden, then, should they win, beat Belgium or Chile in the second round to progress to the Final 8.

That will be played in November in Italy, home of the holders, who have won the right to host the Final 8 for the next three years, replacing Malaga, in Spain. Bologna will be the venue for the 2025 event.

Hewitt had hoped Australia would win hosting rights.

Instead, with the ATP finals in Turin, and Jannik Sinner the world No.1, Italy - who were given a wildcard to the Final 8 - increasingly appears to be the home of men's tennis.

Under competition regulations, the losing 2024 finalists Netherlands, the world No.4, received the second wildcard granting them a bye into the second round of the qualifiers rather than second-ranked Australia, beaten finalists in 2022 and 2023, and semi-finalists this year.

The tie with Sweden evokes memories of the days when they and Australia were titans of men's tennis.

In both 1983 and 1986 the pair met in the final, on the grass of Kooyong, Melbourne. Australia won each time with Pat Cash, John Fitzgerald, Paul McNamee, and (in 1983 only) Mark Edmondson making up the victorious home team.

While Australian men's tennis is on a resurgence, Sweden are far from the powers they were when they won this competition six times from 1984-1998.

Now without a single player in the top 300, though still 20th in the Davis Cup rankings, Sweden reached the qualifiers after defeating India in the World Group.

Their singles players in that match were their top-ranked pair: Elias Ymer, now world No.329 after dropping 174 places in 2024, and Leo Borg, son of the great Bjorn, at No.546.

The Swedes do have two doubles players in the top 200, Andre Goransson (66) and Filip Bergevi (124). However, Australia have a battery of top-100 players in both singles and doubles and should progress even if Sweden can choose the surface.

This tie will be played January 31-February 2, immediately after the Australian Open, which concludes in Melbourne on January 26.

The second round is likely to be trickier.

Chile, ranked 16, have two top-40 players, Alejandro Tabilo (23) and Nicolas Jarry (35). Belgium's best are David Goffin (52) and Zizou Bergs (71) but the world No.14 team do have the 31st-ranked doubles duo Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.

This will be played September 12-14, shortly after the US Open, which finishes on September 7.

Among other ties thrown up by Monday's draw in London, third seeds Canada host Hungary, fourth seeds Germany were drawn against Israel, the USA travel to Taiwan, Great Britain go to Japan and Spain host Switzerland.