Australia increases Davis Cup security to lure Hewitt

SYDNEY, July 27 (Reuters) Security guards will accompany the Australian Davis Cup team to Argentina in September to encourage Lleyton Hewitt to play in the semi-final tie, Tennis Australia (TA) said today.

The former world number one, unpopular in the south American country because of a number of acrimonious matches against Argentine players, has not decided whether to make himself available for the September 22-24 match.

''Security's of paramount importance to Tennis Australia for all of our players so we've got a plan in place and we're working through that with Lleyton now,'' TA chief executive Steve Wood said yesterday.

''I think he's (Hewitt's) looking over that plan at the moment and considering what he's doing.

''We've got a plan in place in conjunction with the ITF and the Argentinean tennis federation to deliver the security that makes all the players comfortable.'' Wood said the charged atmosphere common at Davis Cup matches increased the importance of security issues.

''It's just a very patriotic, galvanising environment to have countries playing against each other,'' he said.

''We've seen that in other sports in recent times and we just want to be sure that our team is comfortable and protected and looked after on and off the court.'' Hewitt, Australia's top-ranked player at 13th in the world, missed the first-round win over Switzerland but led his country to victory over Belarus in the quarter-finals.

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