The road to the Davis Cup semifinals runs through Brisbane.
The Australian Davis Cup team will host the United States in the April 7-9th Davis Cup quarterfinals at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Tennis Australia announced today.
Watch: Novak Djokovic Admonished By Wife Jelena
The tie is a rematch of the 2016 World Group first round, which the United States won on the historic grass courts of Kooyong.
Australia is hosting for the second straight year due to the fact that the USA hosted their previous two meetings against Australia in 1997 and 1999, after an agreement was made in 1999 to switch that year’s tie to Boston as part of the Davis Cup’s centenary celebrations.
This will be the third time Brisbane has hosted a Davis Cup tie, but the first time a World Group quarterfinal has been held at the venue.
Australia has yet to lose a Davis Cup match on Pat Rafter Arena court.
Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt accounted for three points leading the green-and-gold to a 5-0 victory over Japan in 2010 in a tie staged on a portable clay court. Two years later, Australia defeated Korea by the same score in Brisbane.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing at Pat Rafter Arena, and given Australia’s great Davis Cup record there it was the obvious choice to host our tie against the United States,” Hewitt said. “The Brisbane International has gone from strength to strength in recent years and has really grown in popularity, and the quality of the venue has played a large part in the development of the tournament.
"Queenslanders love their tennis, so I’m sure they’ll come out in big numbers to support the boys.”
Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, Australian Open doubles champ John Peers and Sam Groth led the Aussies to a first-round win over the Czech Republic earlier this month.
Photo credit: Tennis Australia