Hewitt, Kyrgios put Australia on top

Davis Cup veteran Lleyton Hewitt and 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios gave Australia a 2-0 lead in its World Group playoff against Uzbekistan.

Kyrgios, who beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, opened with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 win over Denis Istomin on grass courts at Cottesloe Tennis Club.

The 33-year-old Hewitt, who first played Davis Cup in 1999 at the age of 18, beat Farrukh Dustov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to put Australia in a strong position to return to the World Group in 2015.

Hewitt and Chris Guccione are scheduled to play Istomin and Dustov in doubles on Saturday, with reverse singles on Sunday.

Australia lost to France 5-0 in the first round of World Group play this year, Australia’s first appearance in the top-tier competition since 2007.