Rafter fears could “choke” on return
Print Edition
Australia’s Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter fears he may have bitten off more than he can chew by agreeing to partner Lleyton Hewitt in the Australian Open doubles.
The partnership with Hewitt, the most recent of Australia’s grand slam winners, may leave sentimental locals misty-eyed as it hearkens back to the days when Australian men walked tall on the tour at the turn of the century.
For twice US Open champion Rafter, who will return to the A-grade at the age of 41, the feelings are rather different.
Rafter bowed out of tennis after his last match-up with Hewitt, a doubles rubber defeat against France, effectively lost Australia the 2001 Davis Cup.
“Under pressure, I’ll probably choke,” the former world No. 1 joked with reporters. “Expect that to happen.”
Rafter’s Davis Cup tie with Hewitt is in Australian folklore as one of the most calamitous collaborations in the country’s sporting history. The pair were thrown together for the doubles with an injured Rafter swapping with doubles specialist Wayne Arthurs.
They lost to Cedric Pioline and Fabrice Santoro in four sets and, amid worries that Rafter’s shoulder would not survive another best-of-five singles, Arthurs was thrown to the wolves and lost the rubber and the Cup to France.
“It was shocking, horrible,” the straight-talking Rafter recalled ruefully. “I was really bad. So my mates are sending me texts saying, ‘Can you please work on your returns?’ I’ll be definitely the worst player in the competition out there.
“But I’ll have fun. I’m playing with one of the best players in the competition. Figure it’s like eating chocolate or having broccoli, sort of equals it out.”
The match-up may be short-lived, however, with 32-year-old Hewitt a chance to pull the pin at any time depending on his preparations for the singles.
Hewitt has enjoyed a renaissance in the lead-up, upsetting Roger Federer in the final of the Brisbane International and edging fourth seed Andy Murray in an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic on Friday.
“Eighteen in a row, and in the singles main draw as well,” Hewitt, who won the second of his two grand slam titles at Wimbledon in 2002, said. “I wouldn’t have dreamt of that as my first one in ‘97 as a 15-year-old, that’s for sure.”
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