MALAGA/STARNBERG, November 23, 2023

Australia staged a remarkable comeback, defying the brink of elimination to keep their Davis Cup aspirations alive. The team of Lleyton Hewitt defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 on Wednesday in Malaga, Spain.

The Czech Republic took a commanding lead against the Aussies in a quarterfinal clash, as World No. 78 Tomas Machac secured a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Jordan Thompson in the opening singles match.

Jiri Lehecka, ranked World No. 31 and riding a seven-match Davis Cup winning streak, was on the verge of victory against Australia’s top player, Alex de Minaur. However, despite the pressure, the World No. 12 De Minaur surged, exhibiting an exceptional performance to mount a comeback and secure a thrilling 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 triumph.

“I think it would have been quite easy for me to roll over under the circumstances, but that’s just not the type of player I am. I have had plenty of these types of matches in my career. It’s part of my identity. I’m not going to give up. I’m going to fight until the end,” de Minaur said after the two-hour and 32-minute battle.

Later in the evening, Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell teamed up for Australia in the doubles rubber. The 2022 Wimbledon champions kept their unbeaten record in Davis Cup this season intact, securing a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Lehecka and Adam Pavlasek.

That moment when you secure a spot in the semi-finals 🤩#DavisCupFinals | @TennisAustralia pic.twitter.com/pM5iMV2D3M

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) November 22, 2023

“That was impressive in itself, you know, to come out after riding the ups and downs of both singles matches, and then to be able to just switch it on like they did and put in that kind of impressive performance was awesome,” Hewitt said.

The 28-time Davis Cup champions will next face surprise semi-finalists Finland on Friday.