Davis Cup action gets under way in Kaohsiung today

Top tennis comes to Kaohsiung this weekend when Taiwan take on Australia in the Davis Cup.

Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt spearheads Aussie hopes in the Asia-Oceania Group One play-off, along with Chris Guccione, Alun Jones and Paul Hanley. They can expect a stiff challenge from the Taiwanese quartet of Lu Yen-hsun, Jimmy Wang, Chen Ti and teenager Yang Tsung-hua.

Although Australia will probably start as favorites they would do well not to treat the home side lightly. Lu has proved himself on the courts of the Yang-Ming Tennis Center, which plays host to this weekend's tie, having won a Challenger-level tournament there as recently as November. He faces Guccione today buoyed by his straight-sets victory against the big-serving Australian in their previous clash in Memphis last March.

Yang in outstanding form, having reached the final of the Australian Open Juniors singles last month and winning the Junior Doubles in partnership with Hsieh Cheng-peng. Although only 16, should he get the opportunity to play, he won't be Taiwan's youngest-ever Davis Cup participant.

That honor goes to Wang, who appeared in a tie against Pakistan in 2001 a day after his 16th birthday. Wang has an excellent 15-4 record in Davis Cup singles and played a pivotal role in Taiwan's victory over China in their most recent tie last year.

As for Australia, Hewitt, a former Wimbledon and US Open champion, is one of the most recognizable faces on the men's tennis circuit. While remaining a formidable opponent and fierce competitor, he has slipped to No. 22 in the world rankings. Hewitt has been working with experienced coach Tony Roche, who has tried to get him to play more of a serve-and-volley game, although he admitted to not feeling fully comfortable with the tactic last month.

The other Aussies are less well known, although Chris Guccione is ranked inside the top 100 in singles and Paul Hanley in the top 20 in doubles. South African-born Jones is a 27-year-old right-hander ranked No. 125 in singles.

Australia victorious on the only previous occasion they met Taiwan in the Davis Cup, comfortably winning a tie in Melbourne in 1996 without dropping a set.

The Aussies, second-only to the US in the all-time list of Davis Cup winners with 28, were relegated from the World Group for only the second time last September when they lost to Serbia in Belgrade.

Play at 1pm today, tomorrow and on Sunday. Tickets cost NT$400 for each day or a three-day ticket can be purchased for NT$1,000.