Australia is preparing for a do-or-die Davis Cup tie against France in Manchester today.
After a 2-1 loss to Great Britain in the first round-robin tie, Australia must beat France to keep hopes of progressing to November's finals alive.
Alex de Minaur, Australia's No.1 singles player, admits it will be a tough task, but is optimistic the team will improve.
"Ultimately, we are going to have to lift our game and that's what we'll do," De Minaur said.
"We'll come out, we'll have the energy, we'll be ready, and hopefully we can come away with the win."
| Australian team | ||
| Player | Singles ranking | Doubles ranking |
| Alex de Minaur | No.12 | No.285 |
| Max Purcell | No.43 | No.45 |
| Jordan Thompson | No.55 | No.111 |
| Thanasi Kokkinakis | No.74 | No.148 |
| Matt Ebden | - | No.8 |
| Captain: Lleyton Hewitt | ||
Australia is hoping to produce a similar result to last year's win against France, where the team claimed the group-stage tie in Hamburg.
However, France heads into the tie in strong form after a 3-0 victory over Switzerland in their first tie earlier this week.
> READ: Matt Ebden's Davis Cup diary
Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt concedes it will be a tough battle against the talented French team.
"It's going to be three really tough matches," Hewitt said.
The French team boasts three top-50 singles players in Ugo Humbert, Adrian Mannarino and Arthur Fils.
| French team | ||
| Player | Singles ranking | Doubles ranking |
| Adrian Mannarino | No.34 | No.147 |
| Ugo Humbert | No.36 | - |
| Arthur Fils | No.44 | No.491 |
| Edouard Roger-Vasselin | - | No.11 |
| Nicolas Mahut | - | No.32 |
| Captain: Sebastien Grosjean | ||
Hewitt noted world No.36 Humbert as one to watch, following a straight-sets win over Stan Wawrinka - who featured in Switzerland's winning 2014 Davis Cup team - in the first tie.
"Humbert is a very quality player, (he) plays very well indoors on these types of courts, it's going to be a tough match for sure," Hewitt said.
In the doubles, Australia will likely be up against the accomplished pair of Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
This is the 17th Davis Cup meeting between the two nations, with Australia holding an 11-5 head-to-head record over France.
The 2023 Davis Cup Finals are broadcast live on the Nine Network in Australia, with coverage beginning from 9.45pm AEST (Thursday 14 September).
> READ: Davis Cup experience counts for Thanasi Kokkinakis
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