MELBOURNE (AFP) ??” Lleyton Hewitt.

MELBOURNE (AFP) ??” Lleyton Hewitt, refreshed from his two-month break from tennis, plans to down Spain's world number three Juan Carlos Ferrero in Friday's opening singles and crack this weekend's Davis bowl final wide open.

The former world number undivided now ranked at 17, forward Tuesday brushed off Spanish claims that he lacked match practice as he prepared to ambush his US expand conqueror Ferrero on a portable grasscourt at Melbourne Park.

Hewitt, who has dissipated just six of 31 Davis portion singles matches in five years, said he had trained extremely hard in his two-month layoff from playing and was at his freshest as Australia bids for their 28th title, inferior only to the United States.

"I be perceived like if I can beat Juan Carlos upon day one it gives Australia a very great advantage," Hewitt said at the team pres interview here on Tuesday.

"That's