Source: AAP|Published: Wednesday November 29, 11:05 AM
LISBON, Nov 28: Uneasy Davis Cup allies Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis are set to team up again, playing for Australia in next year's World Team Cup.
Philippoussis will be far away from Barcelona next week when Hewitt and Pat Rafter lead Australia's challenge in the Davis Cup final against Spain, his absence the result of another acrimonious year concerning his participation in that team event.
But the qualifiers for the World Team Cup, in Dusseldorf, Germany, next May, are decided on individual rankings at the end of this year, and as such, Australia's singles players at this stage are Hewitt and Philippoussis.
Hewitt is Australia's top ranked player at No.6, while Philippoussis is 11th and Rafter 15th.
Of course, the lineups for the Dusseldorf event can change depending on availability and injury.
Philippoussis teamed with Rafter to help Australia to victory over Slovakia in the same event last year, but much turbulent water has flowed under the bridge since.
In Rafter's postshoulder surgery absence, Philippoussis led Australia to success in the final last year against France.
But his subsequent unavailability for the semi against Brazil sparked criticisms from both Hewitt and Rafter and restored the rift between Philippoussis and the rest of the Davis Cup camp.