Australia will start their 2017 Davis Cup campaign in Melbourne, Victoria.<\/p>\n
The Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group<\/strong> first round tie between Australia<\/strong> and Czech Republic<\/strong> will be played on hardcourt at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club<\/strong> from 3 to 5 February 2017.<\/p>\n The two nations will return to the spiritual home of Australian tennis for the first time in 44 years.<\/p>\n Australia has met the three-time Davis Cup champions on eight occasions and holds a 7-1 record over the Czech team. They most recently met in March 2015 in Ostrava when Australia won 3-2.<\/p>\n Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt<\/strong> said the opportunity to play at Kooyong is always a privilege.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be back at Kooyong for Davis Cup is a bonus for us. We feel this venue gives us the best possible chance against what will likely be a strong Czech team,\u201d Hewitt said.<\/p>\n \u201cKooyong holds so much history and provides a handy option for both teams straight after the Aussie Open.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were pumped to secure our spot in the World Group in September and the boys are more eager than ever to get off to a good start in 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n President of Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club Peter Carew<\/strong> added, \u201cWe are absolutely delighted that Davis Cup tennis will return to Kooyong in February.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the Priceline Pharmacy Kooyong Classic and then the Davis Cup, it promises to be another amazing month at\u00a0the spiritual home of tennis – the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club.\u201d<\/p>\n Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren<\/strong> said, “Davis Cup ties are where history is made and tennis stars become national heroes. We’re particularly delighted to see Kooyong feature once more.<\/p>\n “The Davis Cup isn’t just a great sporting spectacle. It’s a big driver of the economy too, as visitors from all over Australia head to Victoria to watch the best of the best in action. Australians love their tennis and they love watching it in Victoria.”<\/p>\n The Czech Republic\u2019s captain Jaroslav Navratil<\/strong> is likely to choose their four top players including world No.10 Tomas Berdych<\/strong>, Jiri Vesely<\/strong>, Adam Pavlasek<\/strong> and Radek Stepanek<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Tie fast facts<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n