Kooyong to host Davis Cup tie in March

Lleyton Hewitt's debut as captain of Australia's Davis Cup side will take place at Kooyong, the former home of the Australian Open, from 4th to 6th March next year.

Playing host to Australia's first-round tie with the United States, Kooyong will host its first Davis Cup tie in 10 years with a portable grass court to be installed on the venue’s famous centre court.

Australia’s last meeting on grass at Kooyong against the United States took place in 1993 and next year’s tie will mark the two nations’ 46th Davis Cup battle. 

Hewitt said he was looking forward to leading the team for the first time stating “to play Davis Cup in Melbourne, the home of tennis in Australia, at a club like Kooyong with so much tennis history is a privilege.

“Kooyong provides the perfect setting for the team to kick start our Davis Cup campaign on grass and no doubt the home crowd will be right behind us.”

Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club President Peter Carew added “we are absolutely delighted that Tennis Australia has chosen Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club the spiritual home of Australian tennis to host the Davis Cup tie.

“To have the Davis Cup tie played on grass on our centre court in the Kooyong stadium will bring back a host of memories for older tennis fans and give the younger fans a sense of the great history of tennis in this country.”

Australia’s most recent tie against the United States was in 1999 where Hewitt made his Davis Cup debut.

Hewitt alongside Pat Rafter led Australia to a 4-1 World Group quarterfinals victory over the United States, whose team included current US Davis Cup captain Jim Courier.

Between 1946 and 2006 Kooyong staged 10 Davis Cup ties including the 1983 and 1986 finals against Sweden, both won by Australia.

Ticketing information for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first round tie will be released in January 2016.

Images: Kooyong today (top) and as host to the Australian Open in the 1970s (below).

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