Lleyton Hewitt is backing Nick Kyrgios to be pushing for world top-10 status
when Australia begin their quest for Davis Cup glory in 2017.With Kyrgios and
Bernard Tomic teaming for the first time since 2013, Australia secured their
place in the elite 16-nation World Group for next year with an emphatic 3-0
playoff win over Slovakia in Sydney.Sam Groth and John Peers sealed the tie with
doubles success on Saturday before Sundays reverse singles dead rubbers were
washed out.Champions 28 times but not since 2003, Australia will now anxiously
await Thursdays draw in London to learn who they play in the first round next
March.Likely to narrowly miss a seeding, the Hewitt-captained Australians are
hoping to avoid a horror away tie against a Swiss outfit potentially led by
grand slam giants Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.If were unseeded and we play
one of the top eight nations, Id be looking at the possibility of around six of
those being home ties and two of them being away ties, Hewitt said.With that
said, though, a lot of those ties are going to be brutally tough.Belgium,
runners-up to Great Britain last year, loom as another tough away prospect,
while Hewitt is rightfully also wary of drawing Serbia and world No.1 Novak
Djokovic or Britain with an inspired Andy Murray.But we feel quietly confident
no matter who we come up against, whether its home or away, Hewitt said.If we
can have our full strength - and hopefully fit - team, were going to be a good
shot.And an even better shot with Kyrgios once again spearheading the team and
inside the top 10 for the first time.I think hell be thereabouts, Hewitt said.He
doesnt have that many points to defend for the rest of the year.He played well
in Shanghai last year but the end of the year he didnt play that many events so
hes got a good opportunity in the next couple of months.But sometimes its hard
to get up for as well because theres no grand slam kind of at the end of it.But
if he knuckles down, he could have a really good finish to the year, which sort
of springboards into the Hopman Cup and Aussie Open for him.Australia havent had
two Davis Cup players in the worlds top 20 since Hewitt and then-Wimbledon
runner-up Mark Philippoussis teamed with Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs to
win the trophy 13 years ago.But with Tomic in the top 20 for much of this year
before slipping to No.21 for this tie, Hewitt is confident Australia can go deep
in 2017.If we can have our two main guys (with) one pushing close to the top 10,
the other 15 to 20, it its certainly a pretty strong team on paper, said the
first-year skipper.Especially if we get to choose what surface to play on as
well. NEW YORK -- Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic will miss four to six
weeks because of an injured right hand.Hamonic was hurt in the first period of
Saturday nights 4-3 shootout loss to Edmonton when he blocked a shot that
appeared to go off his arm and deflect to the Oilers Leon Draisaitl, who tied
the score at 2-2. Hamonic left and didnt return. The Islanders announced the
expected length of his absence Sunday.ddddddddddddHamonics absence deals a blow
to an Islanders team that has lost three straight -- the last two in shootouts
-- and is seventh in the Metropolitan Division at 4-6-2. Hamonic has two goals
and three assists on the season with a minus-7 rating.
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