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AAP
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Darren Walton

De Minaur to lead Aussie Davis Cup charge

Alex de Minaur will lead Australia's challenge at next month's Davis Cup finals in Spain. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Alex de Minaur will lead Australia into next month's Davis Cup finals after Lleyton Hewitt named an unchanged line-up for the knockout stages in Spain.

Thanasi Kokkinakis and Wimbledon doubles champions Matt Ebden and Max Purcell join world No.24 de Minaur in the four-man team once that's once again missing Nick Kyrgios.

The Wimbledon runner-up hasn't featured all year, preferring to spend his precious down time at home in Australia.

Australia will play the Netherlands in the first quarter-final on November 22 at the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena in Malaga.

The quarter-final marks Australia's third consecutive Davis Cup finals appearance, while the Dutch are contesting their first since 2005.

Captain Hewitt is confident his side can make a push for Australia's first Davis Cup title since he featured in the triumphant 2003 outfit,

"Alex has had a fantastic Davis Cup record this year. He's played some of his best tennis in Davis Cup," Hewitt said.

"He's gone from strength to strength in this competition over the last few years and he's going to help lead us again in our quarter-final match against the Netherlands.

"Thanasi Kokkinakis did everything that we asked of him in Sydney earlier in the year against Hungary to get us into the group stage of the Davis Cup finals.

"He was able to win that clincher for us in the fifth rubber, which was massive against (Zsombor) Piros, and then played really well in his last match in Hamburg against Germany, winning that match in the No.1 singles slot.

"I think he's got a very dangerous game and especially on the indoor surface.

"Max Purcell played extremely well in Hamburg on debut. He handled the pressure of playing big, important matches and he gelled extremely well with Matt Ebden, who came back into the team obviously after the boys won Wimbledon."

Hewitt, though, isn't under-estimating the Netherlands.

"They came through in an extremely tough group in the Davis Cup in Glasgow during the group stage," he said.

"We're going to have to try and make them play a lot of balls out there, try and wear them down.

"It's not going to be easy, especially in this format of only playing three matches. Hopefully we can get off to a good start against them."

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