Hewitt’s Aussies make Davis Cup finals on their day off

Australia’s Davis Cup team have been able to celebrate reaching the Davis Cup finals — without even having to hit a ball in anger on Friday.

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 Canda 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.

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