Thompson champs at bit for Cup

JORDAN Thompson knows he will get goosebumps when leading Australia’s charge against Brazil in the Davis Cup tie starting in Adelaide today.

And Thompson knows he will have to strike a balance as the first Australian on court at Memorial Drive.

“You don’t want to be too pumped up but also you don’t want to try and downplay it either,” Thompson said yesterday.

“So you need to get that balance right.

“It’s tough. But when you go out there for your country it gives you goosebumps and playing first match, I think that will be good for me to hear the anthem playing.

“I will be in the right frame of mind.”

With Australia’s top-ranked duo Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios sidelined by injury, world No.63 Thompson opens the tie against Brazil’s world No.82 Thiago Monteiro.

Australia’s world No.43 John Millman then meets Brazil’s rising star Thiago Seyboth Wild, who captured his first ATP title last week at the Chile Open in Santiago. “Whenever you play against someone who has got winning form, it’s good form,” Millman said of his 19year-old opponent.

“He looks very confident. He’s obviously enormously talented.

“And we are going to see a lot of his name I imagine, that’s pretty obvious.

“And he’s going to be raring to go, it’s his first Davis Cup tie where he’s playing.

“I remember what that feeling is like, it’s indescribable when you walk out on court and the national anthem is being played, it’s really special.

“He will be feeling those emotions too ... but to be able to do in front of a home crowd is something I am really looking forward to.”

Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt teamed James Duckworth with John Peers for Saturday’s doubles match against Marcelo Demoliner and Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves.