Lleyton Hewitt has backed Alex de Minaur to bounce back in a high-stakes clash with Poland when the Davis Cup returns to where it all started for Australia's world No.9.
De Minaur will lead Australia in Brisbane's first Davis Cup tie since 2018, drawn to face world No.231 Maks Kasnikowski on Saturday.
James Duckworth, Australia's water boy when current captain Hewitt led the charge in Brisbane 16 years ago, has won the second singles spot and will play the dangerous Kamil Majchrzak in Saturday's second match.
Poland's former world No.6 Hubert Hurkacz has skipped the tie as he manages his return from injury, placing the hosts as heavy favourites to progress to next year's qualifiers.
They would still need to win that penultimate round to earn a spot at November's finals weekend in Italy.
But a loss in Brisbane would end hopes of a breakthrough title in 2027 for the 28-time champions, who were runner-up in the new format in 2022 and 2023 behind Canada and reigning champions Italy.
"We have to win here to give ourselves a chance to hold up the trophy next year," Hewitt said on Friday.
"We'll hunt anyone down that's in our way."
De Minaur was bounced out in the second round at Flushing Meadows and headed straight to Brisbane to work with Hewitt.
That loss dropped him two places in the rankings and on Wednesday de Minaur, as high as No.5 in the world earlier this year, admitted for the first time in his career he was searching for a "spark".
Hewitt thinks a return to Brisbane, where de Minaur made an audacious semi-final run as an 18-year-old wildcard in 2018, has done the trick.
"He came in straight away, put a lot of hard work, hitting the ball great," Hewitt said.
"Now it's time to go and cash in and enjoy playing in Australia. He's going to play well."
Hewitt said 34-year-old Duckworth, who lost his singles match in Australia's forgettable first-round away loss to Ecuador earlier this year, had earnt his spot ahead of fellow Brisbane talent and first-time squad member Adam Walton.
"He's had so many injuries over the years, to find his way back up the rankings, play the quality of tennis he's playing and he plays so well in Brisbane," he said of the world No.67.
"He's earnt the right to go and have a crack."
Rinky Hijikata and Max Purcell, who have both won major doubles titles, will pair in Sunday's doubles against Karol Drzewiecki and Jan Zielinski.
The reverse singles will follow, with Majchrzak boasting a win over de Minaur in the final of 's-Hertogenbosch in June.
The Polish team has been in great spirits this week, happy to shoot hoops with the Brisbane Bullets after the NBL team helped conduct Friday's draw.
"It's crucial and all of them never refuse to play Davis Cup; they play every time they can," captain Mariusz Fyrstenberg said.
"This team is special."
