Lleyton Hewitt comes out of retirement to partner Sam Groth at Australian Open

AUSTRALIA Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has come out of retirement for the Australian Open and the former world No. 1 is determined “to give it a fair crack.”

The Davis Cup captain is never far from the action.

SAM Groth says partnering Lleyton Hewitt in an Australian Open doubles farewell is the perfect way to retire from the sport.

Groth and Hewitt will team up at the January 15-28 grand slam, where Groth also hopes to play singles and mixed doubles, the latter in tandem with another Newcombe medallist Sam Stosur.

The Davis Cup captain is never far from the action.

“It’s something Lleyton and I have talked about and it’s perfect for me,” Groth, 30, said.

“I was there when ‘Rusty’ retired in 2016 and it’s great that he’ll be there with me when I bow out.

“He’s not just someone I know through tennis, he’s a great mate.”

Hewitt and Groth have been in discussions over the doubles collaboration since the Herald Sun exclusively revealed the Australian Open would be Groth’s swansong.

Hewitt re-emerged from retirement in Davis Cup last year against the US, almost upsetting the Bob and Mike Bryan in an epic five-setter.

Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth at Melbourne Park. Picture: Michael Klein

The former world No.1 said: “It’s going to be a bit of fun - that’s what the Australian Open is about.

“I’m going to really enjoy it. We’ve been hitting a lot of balls, hitting every day, and we’re not just going out there making up the numbers.

“We want to give it a fair crack.”

Hewitt and Groth have been practice court fixtures over the past month.

Groth will soon learn if he will earn a discretionary singles wildcard or be condemned to a qualifying tilt at his final major appearance.

Originally published as Lleyton Hewitt comes out of retirement to partner Sam Groth at Australian Open