By Chris Oddo | Tuesday March 1, 2016
20-year-old Aussie Nick Kyrgios is battling a virus as well as back and hip problems as the Davis Cup weekend approaches.
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty
According to Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios’ back and hip are fine—it’s a virus that his plaguing the 20-year-old now.
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Kyrgios was kept away from the team’s practice facility on Tuesday but is expected to make a full return for the weekend’s tie against the Americans.
“At the moment he’s taking it easy and trying to get over it 100 percent,” Hewitt said, according to the Guardian. “I didn’t want him around the boys if he’s a bit infectious. It’s precaution more than anything.
“The back and hip don’t seem to be a problem which is very good news. “He’s played a lot of matches and both he and Bernie [Tomic] are confident coming in with their ball-striking. Come match day I’m backing both those boys.”
Tomic has been struggling with an ailing wrist that started to hinder him at Australia this year, but the 23-year-old says he’ll be fine once he gets over a spot of jet lag from flying to Kooyong from Acapulco over the weekend. “I’ve pushed through it,”
Tomic said of the injury, which surfaced during his loss to Andy Murray at the Australian Open. “It’s tough to say if I’ll be at 100% but there’s not going to be a lot of rallies ... it’s going to be a lot of quick points.” This weekend’s meeting between the Aussies and Americans will be the 46th time the two winningest nations in Davis Cup history have gone head to head. The Americans lead the matchup 25-20, and the lead the all-time title count, 32 to 28.
The countries have not met since 1999, when Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter led the green and gold to a 4-1 victory over the U.S. in MassechusetTs.