Hewitt, so sincere that it hurts: "Honestly, we weren't very surprised"

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Australia will be in the semifinals of this 2024 Davis Cup after beating United States 2-1 this Thursday. However, the path could not have been more curious. With a Thanasi Kokkinakis shining like a star, defeating Shelton, and Alex De Minaur unable to overcome Fritz, things didn't look so good for the oceanic team until a decision from Bob Bryan before the doubles match changed everything. Lleyton Hewitt, the eternal Aussie captain, later celebrated the favorable outcome for his team at a press conference, confirming once again how little he likes this new format.

Kokkinakis and a great start

"Obviously, I am very pleased with the final result. I loved how Thanasi (Kokkinakis) played this morning; the entire team is very aware of his level, so we always trusted that he would step onto the court and show it. He is a player who can be dangerous against anyone. I had full faith in his abilities, I don't care who is on the other side. A few weeks ago, we saw him win a Challenger in Sydney, and here we saw him enjoying himself again, so he got what he deserved. He has been training very hard to achieve this victory, which was important."

Bob Bryan's unexpected trick

"To be honest, we weren't too surprised. I had seen them training together and doing drills during the week, so it wasn't as much of a surprise as they expected. At the end of the day, we were aware of our team, the players who had to play. If these two had just played the ATP Finals a few days ago, it was for a reason; they are very good doubles players. They have been training here for a few days, adapting to the conditions and gaining a lot of confidence, that's why they stepped onto the court."

The captain's role in the new Davis Cup

"It is never easy to make decisions, for any captain. In my opinion, we should never be playing this format since before you always knew who you were playing against. Occasionally, a player with an injury would be replaced, but you always knew the lineup from Thursday at 11:00 when the draw was made. Rarely were changes made with that format; it is not what we were used to. Occasionally, on the third day, due to injuries, maybe you would change a piece, but now there is a much greater degree of strategy."

Rafa Nadal's retirement

"I said the other day, for me, he is one of the greatest competitors in the history of the sport. It was a privilege to be part of his career, even on a small scale, but playing against him, both in singles and doubles, was always a pleasure, even in training. Rafa has closed the circle; he is an incredible tennis ambassador, so all the credit to him. He absolutely deserves everything he has achieved."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Hewitt, tan sincero que duele: “Sinceramente, no nos sorprendieron mucho”