Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Old pro Pat Cash can’t wait to see the results when Lleyton Hewitt steps into the Australian Davis Cup captain’s chair in early 2016 under a plan of succession which seems to be proceeding on schedule.

Hewitt, 35 next February, will retire after a January run at his beloved Australian Open is done, then wait to be announced as only the seventh Davis skipper in Ausie history. Hewitt’s path will be cleared when temporary skipper Wally Masur conveniently steps down.

Masur said that after Britain beat Australia in Scotland last month to reach a first final in nearly three decades that he would not be re-applying for the Davis job. Hewitt’s own mentor Pat Rafter also did not want to take the plunge, while former Australian Open boss Paul McNamee was also reluctant to throw in his hat.

Applications officially close on Sunday, with Cash keen to see Hewitt in command of a young side highlighted by Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis. “I don’t know if anybody will apply other than Lleyton because it’s just been handed to him really,” Cash told AAP. “They’re trying to open it but it’s almost a pointless process and probably more for legal reasons than anything else.

“But I know Lleyton is very keen to do the job and he’ll be a great captain of course. He’s vastly experienced, he knows the players, the opponents as well, having been close to the tour, and he gets on well with everybody.

“Obviously there was a time when he and Bernie (Tomic) didn’t get on well, but that’s history and he’s very passionate and he knows his stuff.”

“For Lleyton to stay in Australian tennis is great because we do have a very good bunch of young players and some that need mentoring, need an experienced person to talk to. So I think every captain tends to bring something new in so it will be interesting to see what Lleyton brings in.”

Masur is expected to resume his television commentary job with Fox Sports while Rafter is well-place inside Tennis Australia as a performance director. Cash, who won two Davis Cups in the 1980s, runs a CNN tennis program as well as working with tennis camps in Australia which bear his name.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.