Australia have been handed a tough draw in the group stages of the Davis Cup finals, in which they will be bidding to take the final step after successive runners-up spots.
Czech Republic, France and Spain were paired with Lleyton Hewitt's team, with the latter hosting the group, in Valencia from 10-15 September.
Feliciano Lopez, the tournament director, who is Spanish, said ruefully after overseeing the proceedings in London on Tuesday: "Spain has probably the toughest opponents in these finals, in my opinion the strongest group."
Nevertheless, with seven players in the world's singles top 100, headed by No.10 Alex de Minaur and Jordan Thompson (34), plus grand slam-winning doubles duo Matt Ebden and Max Purcell, Hewitt has every reason to be confident.
Besides world No.2 singles player Carlos Alcaraz and No.28 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Spain have doubles No.9 Marcel Granollers (9).
The Czechs have a trio of singles players in the top 100, Jiri Lehecka (27), Tomas Machac (60) and Jakub Mensik (18). Machac (86) is also in the top 100 doubles players along with Adam Pavlasek (41) and Petr Nouza (83).
Australia beat the Czechs in the quarter-finals last year 2-1. Machac beat Thompson 6-4 7-5 in the opening rubber and when de Minaur lost the first set of the second singles to Lehecka 6-4, it looked as if Australia were going out.
But de Minaur roared back to win in three sets before Ebden and Purcell beat Lehecka and Pavlasek 6-4 7-5.
Australia beat France in the finals groups stage in 2022. They can select from Ugo Humbert (world No.15), Adrian Mannarino (20), rising star Arthur Fils (37) and veteran Gael Mofils (47).
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (12) is their star doubles player.
As runners-up Australia were seeded in pot 1 alongside holders Italy, 2022 winners Canada and Germany, and drawn in Group B.
Holders Italy will host a Group A in Bologna with Netherlands, Belgium and Brazil.
Germany were drawn with USA, Slovakia and Chile, with a group hosted in China for the first time, in Zhuhai.
Manchester, England, will host Group D with Canada, Finland, Argentina and Great Britain.
The Final 8 knock-out stage will again be in Malaga 19-24 November. Hewitt will be hoping to make it third time lucky.
