2018 Davis Cup: Australia will host Germany in opener

Team Australia, led by Lleyton Hewitt, will host Germany in the opening round of the 2018 Davis Cup in February. The match-up could see a likely showdown between young stars Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev.

Last week, the Aussies suffered a crushing defeat against Belgium, in the semi-final of the 2017 Davis Cup. After asserting a 2-1 lead, Hewitt's team lost both the reverse singles as Belgim advanced to November's final against France. The match against Germany would be their chance at redemption.

Despite the loss, there is belief that the Hewitt-Kyrgios tandem could usher in a new era of Australian tennis. Todd Larkham, the former coach of Kyrgios, is convinced.

2018 Davis Cup: Australia bank on Hewitt-Kyrgios partnership

"They're going to be knocking on the door of winning the Davis Cup over the next few years. Those two guys are going to be working together a lot over the next few years hopefully so they seem to be communicating really well. Nick's performing well in Davis Cup, so it seems to be going well for them, which is great," Larkham said, via Sydney Morning Herald.

The German roster would likely boast of Zverev brothers - Alexander and Mischa - besides veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber. The 20-year-old Alexander Zverev is in the midst of a career-best season, which has propelled him to World No. 4 in the ATP Rankings. Zverev won the events in Montpellier and Munich before winning his first-ever Masters 1000 title in Rome. He routed former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final of the Italian Open to re-assure the tennis world of his impending rise.

Besides Australia vs Germany, the 2018 Davis Cup first round will see France v Netherlands, Japan v Italy, Spain v Britain, Kazakhstan v Switzerland, Croatia v Canada, Serbia v USA and Belgium v Hungary.