Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has once again lashed out at the controversial new Davis Cup format despite helping guide his team into November’s eight-team finals week. The Aussies were already assured of their passage to the Davis Cup finals before going down to hosts and group winners Spain 2-1 in Valencia on Sunday.

Hewitt’s men, who have finished runners-up in the event two years running, beat France and the Czech Republic before losing to Spain in what turned out to be a dead rubber tie against a Spanish team that rested World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz. But Hewitt was still less than impressed that the prestigious competition was held so soon after the US Open, particularly as his team were battling a number of injuries.

The Aussies progressed without their sidelined No.1 Alex de Minaur and US Open doubles champion Max Purcell also had to play through pain in Valencia. Purcell featured in the doubles for Australia in Tuesday’s opener against France less than three days after partnering compatriot Jordan Thompson to the men’s doubles crown at Flushing Meadows.

Hewitt’s Aussie contingent then had travel some 6000km from New York to Spain to prepare for their Davis Cup campaign. The gruelling schedule certainly took its toll on Purcell by the time the final tie against Spain rolled around and he was clearly struggling in the deciding rubber alongside Matt Ebden as the former Wimbledon champs went down in a shock defeat.

“We’ve had a few guys this week pretty banged up – and it’s only really our locker room knows that,” Hewitt said afterwards. “It would have been very easy for a few of my boys to not turn up this week, but they’ve come and they put on the green and gold, and done absolutely everything I’ve asked of them. I’m super proud.”

Lleyton Hewitt slams ‘ridiculous’ Davis Cup schedule

However, an angry Hewitt said it was “ridiculous” of Davis Cup organisers to ask players such as Purcell to travel so far and back up for their country just a few days after a grand slam tournament. “To try and ask players to play the second day after a grand slam finishes, it’s not easy,” the Australia captain said. “In the old (weekend only) format, I used to have to do it, but you’d at least have until the Friday before you had to play. Now to play on Tuesday, it’s ridiculous.”

Hewitt also couldn’t see any sense in the week-long, four-team group stage format that ended with two teams in Australia and Spain – who had both already qualified – playing in what was essentially a dead rubber final tie. “That’s the stupid part of this format, isn’t it? You know, I can keep saying it,” Hewitt added. “But the format is what it is, and we’ll do what we need to do to get through and give ourselves a chance of hopefully holding up the trophy.”

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Ebden also questioned the format after described the dead rubber tie against Spain as “weird”, following his and Purcell’s shock 5-7 6-4 6-4 loss to the makeshift partnership of Marcel Granollers and occasional doubles player Pedro Martinez. “It’s a different feel, I’m not gonna lie. Of course, I tried to win – it’s not an excuse that we lost – but it’s a weird feeling,” Ebden said afterwards.

Aussies progress to Davis Cup finals despite Spain defeat

The Aussie also lamented the fact that his doubles partner Purcell was far from his sharpest. “Max has obviously been carrying some injuries for the whole week,” Ebden added. “So he did amazing to win the US Open and then come here and help us get the team qualified for Malaga – and that was the only goal.”

Australia’s 2-1 defeat to Spain came after World No.29 Thompson succumbed 6-2 2-6 6-7 (3-7) to veteran Spanish substitute, No.207 Pablo Carreno Busta. Sydneysider Thompson did have an opportunity to serve for the match in the third which he failed to take. Alexei Popyrin delivered to level the tie with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Martinez, before the Spaniard went on to become the unlikely doubles hero. Hewitt will be hoping to have de Minaur fit for the November finals after recent hip injury struggles for the Aussie No.1.

with AAP