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Arthurs gives Australia 1-0 lead over Morocco
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-24 14:25
Wayne Arthurs rode his booming serve to a 7-6 6-4 6-3 victory over Mounir El
Aarej to give Australia a 1-0 lead over Morocco in their Davis Cup World Group
playoff at Perth's Royal Kings Park on Friday.
The left-handed Arthurs fired 24 aces to overwhelm the lowly-ranked
Moroccan.
El Aarej, ranked 428th in the world, held a set point in the opening
tiebreak but failed to convert his lone opportunity as the Australian stamped
his control on the match.
Better suited by the grass surface, Arthurs broke El Aarej's serve for
the first time in the second set before breaking him twice more in the third.
US Open runner-up Lleyton Hewitt was due to play Mehdi Tahiri in
Friday's second singles rubber.
Hewitt has already won 24 Davis Cup singles matches and needs one more
to eclipse Adrian Quist's Australian record established in the 1930s and 40s.
Australia are strong favourites to win the best-of-five tie and remain
in the World Group after Morocco's two best players, Hicham Arazi and Younes El
Aynaoui, withdrew through injury.
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