Australia is on the cusp of securing a spot in the Davis Cup finals.
John Millman and Jordan Thompson banked wins against Brazilian opponents on Friday, giving Australia a 2-0 stranglehold entering Saturday’s doubles and reverse singles.
Thompson downed Thiago Monteiro 6-4 6-4 before Millman summoned his renowned fighting spirit to account for young gun Thiago Seyboth Wild.
The 19-year-old Brazilian was serving for a straight-sets victory at Adelaide’s Memorial Drive before Millman rallied for what he described as one of his most memorable wins – a 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 triumph.
Seyboth Wild held a 5-4 lead in the second set but Millman turned the tide for a gutsy win.
“That is what you expect from Johnny,” Australia’s captain Lleyton Hewitt said.
“That is a great win.
“Not easy, best-of-three set match too – not like the old best-of-five.
“If you have a slow start out there in this format it’s pretty hard to fight your way back.
“We always know he’s going to lay it out there … for me to have someone like him in my corner that I can rely on, you need those kind of guys in your team.”
Australia’s doubles team of James Duckworth, on his cup debut, and John Peers can secure passage to the cup finals in Spain in November if they beat Brazil’s Marcelo Demoliner and Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves ahead of the reverse singles.