Australia’s quest to return to the Davis Cup World Group extended into a deciding third day as Poland edged a five-set doubles thriller in their playoff in Warsaw on Saturday.
Teenager Nick Kyrgios, handed a surprise debut, and Chris Guccione fell 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 (7-5) 6-4 to Marcin Matkowski and Mariusz Fyrstenberg as Poland cut Australia’s lead in the best-of-five claycourt tie to 2-1.
The Australians are still strongly placed to secure a return to the competition’s top tier for the first time since 2007, with the inclusion of 18-year-old Kyrgios keeping Lleyton Hewitt fresh for the reverse singles on Sunday.
Bernard Tomic can wrap up the tie with a win over Polish No.1 Lukasz Kubot on Sunday while a loss would mean Hewitt facing 113th-ranked Michal Przysiezny in a deciding fifth rubber.
Tomic and Hewitt were superb in winning singles matches on Friday to give Australia a 2-0 lead, with neither dropping a set.
The 28-time champions could have won the tie with victory in the doubles on Saturday but Rafter pulled a tactical surprise by breaking up the unbeaten duo of Hewitt and Guccione.
Kyrgios had only been named in Australia’s four-man squad on the eve of the tie, replacing Marinko Matosevic after impressing in training.
Former world No.1 junior Kyrgios marked his senior grand slam debut with a first-round upset of Czech veteran Radek Stepanek at the French Open earlier this year and he showed few signs of nerves early at Warsaw’s Torwar Hall indoor arena.
The rising star served strongly early as he and Guccione went one set up to raise the prospect of Australia getting the job done with a day to spare.
However Matkowski and Fyrstenberg, ranked 19th and 20th in doubles respectively, clinched a crucial break in the second set to level the match, awaking a home crowd that had been kept relatively quiet on Friday.
The Poles then raced through the third set in little more than half an hour.
Kyrgios and Guccione lifted their game in the fourth set and forced a fifth set by edging a tense tiebreaker.
The home side clinched a vital break on Guccione’s serve midway through the final set but Australia responded with an immediate break-back.
However Guccione was broken again trailing 5-4, surrendering the match with a double fault.
Australia have reached the World Group playoffs for the past three years, only to fall at the last hurdle.
Each time, Rafter’s side held 2-1 leads heading into the final day only to lose both reverse singles rubbers.
Poland, bidding to reach the World Group for the first time, are without star player and world No.14 Jerzy Janowicz, who was ruled out on the eve of a tie due to a back injury.