Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt suffered a heartbreaking exit from the Davis Cup after a bold selection gamble backfired during a decisive reverse singles rubber in Sydney, according to reports from Yahoo Sport Australia. Thrust into the deciding match on Sunday after Australia clawed back a 2-0 deficit against Belgium, 29-year-old Aleksandar Vukic fell 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3 to World No.91 Raphael Collignon, knocking the Australian team out of the tournament’s quarter-final hopes for the first time since 2021.
Hewitt’s Selection Gambles and the Road to the Decider
Trailing 2-0 after Saturday’s opening rubbers, Lleyton Hewitt needed a massive turnaround to keep Australia’s campaign alive in the 125-year-old team competition. According to Yahoo Sport Australia, Hewitt made his first selection gamble by handing Rinky Hijikata his Davis Cup debut to partner Jordan Thompson in the Sunday doubles match. The pairing delivered, downing Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 6-4 to spark hope of a comeback.
World No.8 Alex de Minaur then leveled the tie at 2-2 by defeating Zizou Bergs 6-2 7-5, atoning for his opening-day stumble against Collignon. With the tie hanging in the balance, Hewitt faced a critical decision for the final reverse singles rubber. Opting to rest Thompson following his two-hour, 24-minute doubles effort, Hewitt threw Vukic into the fray.
Raphael Collignon Seals Victory for Belgium
Aleksandar Vukic started strong under pressure, claiming a tight opening set in a tiebreaker against an in-form Raphael Collignon. However, the Belgian mounted a resilient comeback. Collignon, who previously stunned de Minaur and defeated World No.12 Casper Ruud at the US Open, capitalized on his confidence. He seized control of the second and third sets to silence the Sydney crowd.
According to Yahoo Sport Australia, the match point culminated in an epic rally that Collignon finished with a clever drop shot. The victory sparked pandemonium among the Belgian camp and handed their country a famous win. “It’s a dream,” Collignon said after the match, highlighting the mental toughness required to recover from a grueling weekend schedule.
Historical Context and Post-Match Reflection
Australia was attempting to become just the third Australian team to overcome a 2-0 deficit to progress, a feat previously achieved by Harry Hopman’s 1939 squad and Hewitt’s 2015 team alongside Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Sam Groth. Despite falling short of that benchmark, Hewitt praised the resilience and dedication of his squad throughout the long season.
“Really, I’m just proud of the whole team and the effort they put in,” Hewitt told Yahoo Sport Australia. He noted that despite Saturday’s setbacks, the players held their heads high, threw everything into Sunday’s matches, and nearly pulled off the comeback.
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