Congratulations Pat you’ll do a great job. From the team at Tennis Gear.
Former world number one Pat Rafter has been elevated to one of the highest positions in Australian sport, captain of the Davis Cup team.
Rafter, a two-time US Open champion and former Australian of the Year, will form a dream pairing with Tony Roche, who has been re-appointed coach of the team.
Rafter replaces John Fitzgerald and becomes only the fifth man in the past 60 years to captain Australia’s Cup team.
The hugely popular 37-year-old follows on from Fitzgerald (2001-2010), John Newcombe (1995-2000), Neale Fraser (1970-1994) and the legendary Harry Hopman (1950-69).
Hopman also captain-coached the team in 1938-39.
Rafter, who in addition to his back-to-back triumphs in New York in 1997-98 also lost successive Wimbledon finals in 2000-01, now has the onerous task of guiding Australia back into the elite 16-nation World Group for the first time since 2007.
“We’ve got a lot of young players that have a great opportunity to play for Australia,” Rafter said.
“My standards and expectations are extremely high. This is a great opportunity to be part of something that means a lot to me.”
With Cup warrior Lleyton Hewitt sidelined from the reverse singles, Australia narrowly missed promotion to the World Group last month when they lost a play-off 3-2 to Belgium in Cairns.
Hewitt’s Davis Cup future had been up in the air following Australia’s latest disappointment, but it is now hoped the recruitment of Rafter and Roche will extend his career in the century-old teams’ event.
“I’m happy with the appointment of Pat and Rochey. Pat and I get along great and have shared some special moments at the highest level of Davis Cup, and I look forward to working with him,” Hewitt said.
“And Rochey, I have always said his experience is second to none and he will be a fantastic addition again to the team.”
During his 10-year reign as captain, Fitzgerald led Australia to two finals, including 2003 glory over Spain in Melbourne, and also to the World Group semi-finals in 2006.
He said he has been in discussions with Rafter since January about assuming the role.
“Tennis in this country needs him, we want him,” he said.
“He’s the best role model you could hope for to step into this position.
“I’m delighted he’s been able to fit it into his busy life, and with his family commitments to step into this role.
“There couldn’t be a better person that you’d hope to take over this role. In my position to have someone take it over from me I couldn’t have wished for anyone better than Pat Rafter.”
Australia have won 28 Davis Cup trophies, second only to the USA’s 32, but a failure to get his hands on the trophy remains one of Rafter’s greatest disappointments.
The Queenslander frustratingly had to sit out Australia’s 1999 final triumph over France in Nice with a shoulder injury, having helped the team reach the decider.
He then featured in Australia’s losing finals against Spain in Barcelona in 2000 and against France in Melbourne in 2001.
Sadly, Rafter’s last professional match – before he formalised his retirement a year later – was his controversial involvement in the infamous 2001 Cup final loss to France.
After beating Sebastien Grosjean on day one to level the tie at 1-1, first-year captain Fitzgerald opted to pit Rafter and Hewitt into battle against Cedric Pioline and Fabrice Santoro – rather than play doubles specialists Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs.
But, again hampered by injury, Rafter and Hewitt lost in four sets – before a tearful Arthurs succumbed to Nicolas Escude in the deciding singles rubber the following day in front of his home-city crowd.
Australia will begin the long journey back to the World Group with a first-round Asia-Oceania Group I tie against Taiwan in Melbourne from March 5-7.
