Sydney - Nick Kyrgios has recovered from a hip injury and
apparently buried the hatchet with Bernard Tomic after he was named in
Australia's Davis Cup team to play Slovakia on Thursday.
Australia's temperamental number one has been feuding with
the equally trouble-prone Tomic, but they will unite in an attempt to secure a
spot in the top-tier World Group - and take a shot at the title - next year.
The play-off will mark the first time in three years that
21-year-old Kyrgios, who retired from the US Open last week with a hip problem,
and Tomic have played in the same Davis Cup team.
Kyrgios, the world number 15, will take on Andrej Martin in
Friday's opening match, while 21st-ranked Tomic takes on Jozef Kovalik. Both
Slovakian players are outside the top 100.
Australian doubles specialists Sam Groth and John Peers will
play Martin and Igor Zelenay on Saturday, ahead of the reverse singles on
Sunday.
Tomic said he was looking forward to teaming up with
Kyrgios, his sometime doubles partner with whom he had a falling-out over the
Davis Cup earlier this year.
"The last few days has been a good experience. I'm
really excited to be a part of it from Friday with Nick," Tomic said.
"I experienced something last year. We were in the
semi-finals against the UK and we had a chance there.
"I would love nothing more one day than to be a Davis
Cup champion with these guys and it's all going to take a big team - not just
myself.
"It's a challenge I'm ready to go through and hopefully
one day we can win that trophy."
Tomic accused Kyrgios of faking illness to avoid playing
Australia's Davis Cup tie against the United States in March. Kyrgios later
took to social media to hit back at the 23-year-old.
"I want to get the job done which hopefully get us back
in the World Group," Kyrgios said, while team captain Lleyton Hewitt added
that if Australia won the tie it would be a "building block for
2017".
It will be the first time Australia and Slovakia have met in
the Davis Cup, with the winner securing a spot in the 2017 World Group and the
loser dropping into Asia Oceania Group One.
Australia have won 28 Davis Cup titles, making them the second most successful team behind the United States. But it is 13 years since they last lifted the trophy.