Hewitt Sets Record, Australia Takes 2-0 Davis Cup Qualifying Lead

Lleyton Hewitt became Australia's winningest Davis Cup singles player Friday after pounding Morocco's Mehdi Tahiri to lead Australia to a 2-0 lead in their Davis Cup World Group qualifying match.

Hewitt's 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 win followed a shaky 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-3 victory by Australia's Wayne "The Serving Machine" Arthurs over the unheralded Mounir El Aarej.

"I haven't played a Davis Cup singles match for two years and I came out a little nervous," Arthurs said. "I was probably fortunate to win that first set...It's always very difficult to play someone you haven't seen. You never know what they're going to throw at you. It was pretty ugly. My tennis was not the purest I've every played."

Top Moroccan players Younes El Aynaoui and Hicham Arazi bowed out with injuries, but in the case of Arazi it appeared he wanted more money to represent Morocco than his federation was willing to give.

Look for Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge to clinch Australia's ticket back into the World Group in the Saturday doubles.