Alex de Minaur expertly steered Australia to a second consecutive Davis Cup final with a 2-0 victory against Finland in Malaga.
The world number 12 defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, after Alexei Popyrin defeated Otto Virtanen in the first singles match, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
Australia, which last won the title in 2003, will meet either Serbia’s Novak Djokovic or Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday.
De Minaur made an incredible comeback against the Czech Republic in a rollercoaster classic to help his team reach the semi-finals, but he had a quieter ride this time at the Martin Carpena stadium.
Despite his and Hewitt’s criticism of the new Davis Cup system, the 24-year-old expertly guided his team to their 49th final. The 28-time champions terminated Finland’s fairytale run with little fanfare, as the captains agreed not to play the deciding doubles.