Hewitt makes history as Australian young guns win Davis Cup thriller

Alex de Minaur and Thanasi Kokkanikis have dragged Australia into the Davis Cup finals group stage after a thrilling 3-2 qualifying win over Hungary in Sydney. The unfancied Hungarians had taken a shock 2-1 lead with a stunning doubles victory on Saturday before De Minaur and Kokkinakis embarked on a steely rescue mission at Ken Rosewall Arena.

In the end Kokkinakis sealed the tie for Australia with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Zsombor Piros after De Minaur came out on top in the marquee match-up between the two nations’ No 1s with an electrifying 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Marton Fucsovics. The great escape marks only the third time this century the Australians have overturned a 2-1 deficit in Davis Cup.

The Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt featured in the previous two comebacks, upstaging Roger Federer in the fourth rubber at Zurich in 2000 before Mark Philippoussis beat George Bastl to clinch the tie. Hewitt and Sam Groth also saved Australia on the last day of the 2015 quarter-final against Kazakhstan in Darwin after Nick Kyrgios lost to world No 115 Aleksandr Nedovyesov and infamously declared: “I don’t want to be here.”

There were no such theatrics from De Minaur and Kokkinakis on Saturday, but no less tension either as the pair delivered for Hewitt and their country under untold pressure. Mate Valkusz and Fabian Marozsan’s 6-4, 6-4 doubles defeat of John Peers and Davis Cup debutant Luke Saville had Australia staring down the barrel of an inglorious exit from the competition.

Hungarian captain Zoltan Nagy only drafted Valkusz – ranked 1,312th in doubles and the world No 439 singles player – in as a last-minute replacement for Fuscovics. But the captain’s call paid unexpected dividends. “It’s crazy,” Valkusz said after