PERTH, Australia (AFP) - Reigning champions Australia are keen to retain the Davis Cup, their top singles player Lleyton Hewitt said, noting the World Group tie against Morrocco was the first step on a long road.
Hewitt, the world number three, will spearhead the campaign to avoid relegation from the World Group against the north Africans, along with second singles player Wayne Arthurs, who will also join doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge.
The Moroccans, who have qualified just three times for the World Group, face a seemingly impossible task against a team which has won the premier teams tennis tournament 28 times.
But Hewitt, who with a current 27-6 win-loss record will become Australia's most successful Davis Cup singles player should he win on Friday, conceded the tie would be tricky for his team.
They were stung by their first-round loss to Sweden and must now fight to avoid relegation for only the second time in history.
"It's an awkward tie," Hewitt said. "You go out there and you know you can't win the Davis Cup -- you've got to go out there and not lose it -- not go down another step.
"We were in the same position two years ago in Adelaide playing against India and we all decided it was going to take us five matches from there to try and get the Davis Cup back and the whole team really came together and bonded extremely well.
"Even though we were the red-hot favourites for that tie as well that was really our starting point for 2003. I think that really helped us.
"We got through that tie and we really believed that the team we had could go all the way. I think it's going to be the same next year."
The in-form Australian, who finished runner-up to Swiss number one Roger Federer in the US Open this month, said he knew almost nothing about his first up opponent Mehdi Tahiri, ranked 507.
The pair will take to the grass courts of Perth's Royal Kings Park court on Friday immediately after the opening rubber between Arthurs, ranked 89 and Mounir El Aarej, ranked 428.
The two Morrocans will be pressed into service for all three days, teaming up in the doubles on Saturday before Sunday's reverse singles.
The Morrocans did not rule out an upset but conceded they faced a daunting task, not helped by the grass court surface.
"The grass is too fast," said team captain Karim Alami.
But Tahiri said he was not nervous about playing Hewitt.
"I'm going to go there and play and Karim will be there to help me if I get nervous or something is wrong. Otherwise I will do my best," he said.
"He's a fighter and I know what's waiting for me, but I know what I have to do if I want to give him competition."
Morrocco have been stung by the withdrawal of their top players Younes El Aynaoui and Hicham Arazi through injury.
For Australia, veteran Todd Woodbridge, 33, the holder of 81 career doubles titles, reaffirmed his commitment to the game both as a Davis Cup member and an individual.
"While I am still winning Grand Slam (doubles) titles I'm going to keep going -- because they're there for the taking and I don't want other people having them when I think I can get them. I'm still a little greedy," he quipped.