Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt said he's willing to overlook Nick Kyrgios's recent outbursts on the ATP Tour, selecting the talented but wayward star for the revamped Davis Cup finals.
Kyrgios is serving a six-month probation on the ATP Tour after a meltdown at the Cincinnati tournament and calling the ATP "pretty corrupt" during the U.S. Open in August.
The suspended sentence applies only to the ATP Tour and not Davis Cup competition. Hewitt said he's confident the 24-year-old Kyrgios will be on his best behavior at the 18-team Davis Cup finals in Madrid from Nov. 18-24.
Hewitt said Kyrgios's latest ban hadn't affected his decision to select the player for the Australian team, drawn in a group with Belgium and Colombia.
The Australia team also includes No. 28 Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson, John Millman and doubles specialist John Peers.
"I feel like on the Davis Cup court he's done absolutely everything I've needed in the past; he hasn't put a foot wrong," Hewitt said. "There's a lot of things he does in a team environment that I actually think we will see the best of him."
Hewitt, a two-time Davis Cup winner with Australia, said Kyrgios had withdrawn from recent tournaments with a shoulder injury.
"After the Laver Cup he had a shoulder (or) collarbone injury, which he's pretty much over now. But he had to take a few weeks out as he felt like if he kept playing that was going to jeopardize his chances of possibly playing Davis Cup," Hewitt said.
"He comes in a little bit underdone, but I'm fortunate he's a guy who can light it up when he needs to. I think he's a guy that this format will suit."
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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Blowing late leads has become a hallmark of Manchester United's season.
Erik ten Hag hopes that changes when Liverpool comes to Old Trafford on Sunday. United is still clinging to hopes of a Champions League spot, despite a stunning 4-3 loss to Chelsea on Thursday night.
United first gave away the lead in the 10th minute of stoppage time at Stamford Bridge and then the game a minute later — both goals coming from Cole Palmer.
That followed a blown lead in a 1-1 draw at Brentford last Saturday. United had just recovered from celebrating Mason Mount's goal in the 96th when Kristoffer Ajer tied it three minutes later.
“We can beat the best teams in the Premier League,” Ten Hag said. “When you beat them in the Premier League, you can do it across Europe, but we need to learn how you win games ... how you bring games over the line and get the three points. We have to step up."
Dropping five points in the past two games is “very expensive,” he added.
“Games are running out. We know that and we have to catch up and we are now many points behind,” Ten Hag said. “It will be difficult. We will keep fighting.”
With eight games remaining, United is nine points behind fifth-place Tottenham and 11 points back of fourth-place Aston Villa. Because of a format change to the Champions League next season, the Premier League might get a fifth spot in Europe's elite club competition.
Blowing leads is not a new problem.
United exited the Champions League at the group stage — in last place. They gave away second-half leads in three of those games: a 3-2 home loss to Galatasaray; a 4-3 defeat at Copenhagen; and a 3-3 draw at Galatasaray.
The good news? United has actually closed out a big win recently — over Liverpool 4-3 after extra time in a thrilling FA Cup quarterfinal match. Marcus Rashford tied it at 3-3 before Amad Diallo's winner at Old Trafford.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pointed to uncharacteristic errors that they'll need to avoid this time.
“We were really good that day but didn’t finish the situations off in extra time,” Klopp said. “We made mistakes we didn’t make before at all. We better play a really good football game to be honest, if we want something there.”
First-place Liverpool holds a two-point lead over Arsenal heading into the weekend.
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Manchester United's head coach Erik ten Hag gives instructions from the side line during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Manchester United players react after referee award a penalty to Chelsea during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
