Australia's bid to make it third time lucky in their bid to win the Davis Cup under Lleyton Hewitt will face a challenging examination first up in the finals group stage in Valencia.
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Hewitt's team have reached the final of the men's World Cup of tennis for the last two years but will have to finish in the top two in their Spanish group in September if they are to get another chance to then go for glory in the 'final eight' week to be staged in Malaga two months later.
Their group also features matches against the Czech Republic and hosts Spain, but much will rest on their opening encounter which was revealed on Thursday to be against a powerful French team that is set to include two top-20 players - left-handers Ugo Humbert and Adrian Mannarino.
Each tie will be a one-day, best-of-three-rubbers affair, featuring two singles and a doubles, but the opener is a potentially pivotal clash between two evenly-matched teams, who both have strength in depth with Alex de Minaur, an inspired performer in the Davis Cup, set to spearhead the Australian charge again.
Just hours after the announcement of the schedule, de Minaur was given an indication of just how difficult that tie will be as he went down in straight sets to the teenage French No.3 Arthur Fils in the Barcelona Open.
That group B clash on September 10 will be followed by the Australians taking on the Czechs two days later, with the daunting possibility of a group decider against a Carlos Alcaraz-led Spanish team on the final day, Sunday, September 15.
The Jannik Sinner-inspired champions Italy, who beat Australia 2-0 in last year's final, will kick off the defence of their trophy against Brazil in Bologna on September 11. Italy will also play against the Netherlands and Belgium in Group A.
The United States, record 32-times winners, will start group C, which is being staged in Zhuhai, China, against Chile before then going on to play Slovakia and Germany.
The British-hosted group in Manchester will see the GB side play 2022 champions Canada - they also beat Australia in that year's final - on the final day with Finland and Argentina completing pool D.
The eight teams who qualify for the finals will play in Malaga from November 19 to 24.
Australian Associated Press
