06 December 2000

So far it has been Alex Corretja advising Lleyton Hewitt to control his on-court exuberance in the Davis Cup final or risk the consequences. Now it is Hewitt's likely first opponent, the low-key Albert Costa, who has issued a warning of his own.

"Hewitt's a very expressive player who likes to put on a show," Costa said. "I think if he doesn't contain himself a bit it's going to be bad for him. The fans aren't going to go for the gestures, and they'll react."

As they did in Lisbon, where Hewitt lost to Corretja amid premature shouts of "c'mon", muttered profanities and the usual fist-pumping.

At Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi, the crowd reaction will be even more extreme. Spain has not won a Davis Cup, having played both its previous finals on inhospitable Australian grass. This is the biggest weekend in the host nation's tennis history.

Before the official draw,Friday night's singles rubbers were expected to match Costa against Hewitt and Corretja against the Australian No2 Patrick Rafter. More certain were the nominations for the doubles: Corretja and Juan Balcells against Mark Woodforde and Sandon Stolle.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Spanish are predicted to substitute Juan Carlos Ferrero in place of Costa in Sunday's second reverse singles. Ferrero has frequently practised against a net-rushing Balcells to prepare him for Rafter's modified serve-and-volley game.

That leaves Hewitt and Corretja in the juicy fourth rubber, although in far different circumstances than during Lisbon's hardcourt tournament. "My advice is that he can behave as he wants," said Corretja, who reckoned he had been motivated rather than distracted by Hewitt's antics at the Masters Cup.

"What I have to say to my team is that we have to be patient with him because sometimes he behaves a little provocative to the opponents and to the crowd. Usually in Barcelona, the crowd don't like a lot of provocation, so we will see how it goes. But, of course, we like to see big crowd for us; it's a great chance to put on a lot of pressure."

The December weather and short days thwarted the Spanish preference to play the tie outdoors, in the slowest possible conditions. Yet while Corretja said there was still time to fiddle with the indoor court the Australians believe is quicker than last year's finals clay in Nice, any changes will be protested by Australian captain John Newcombe.

"That's the court they've got down and I don't know if the ITF will allow them to start putting stuff on it," Newcombe said. "This is what we've practised on."

Newcombe thinks this Australian team is on a par with the group that defeated France 3-2 in 1999 but acknowledges Spain's greater depth.

"I think Lleyton is a better player this year on clay than he was last year, but it's pretty hard to play better than Mark [Philippoussis] did last year," he said. "I think we're about the same as last year. This is a slightly tougher task. They've got three singles players who are all really about the same and are all really good.

"But I just wonder, because of the expectations that everyone has of their team, whether when they get their opportunity they may not be able to grasp it because they might have a fear of losing. They've got to break through and this is a three-day event."

Newcombe said Australia planned for Stolle to partner Woodforde except "if Pat played a blinder on the first day and we were two-love up, the thought would be to go for the throat, take 'em out".

Either way, it will be the end for Woodforde, who has missed only two ties since his doubles debut in 1993, and the South Australian's send-off is another motivation for an Australian team that has plenty else to play for, including the farewell of Newcombe and coach Tony Roche.

"There's Woodforde," Newcombe said. "There's the fact that Tony and I have publicly stated one of the major reasons we came back this year was to get Pat's name on the trophy. So there's a lot going on, over and above what Davis Cup means."