25 March 2013 | Tennis Queensland

Bernard Tomic will join the Australian team that travels to Uzbekistan for the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania zone second-round tie in Namangan on 5-7 April.

Tomic, who has won eight of his 10 career Davis Cup singles rubbers and will be a welcome asset to Aussie skipper Pat Rafter, said he was genuinely pleased to be back on the team after missing the first-round tie against Chinese Taipei in February.

“I always want to play Davis Cup. I want to thank Pat for picking me,” Tomic said.

“Wherever it is I’ll always be happy to play for country.

“Lleyton (Hewitt) has always told me what a huge thing Davis Cup is. We have a good chance to beat Uzbekistan. I’m back where I want to be, I’m looking forward to playing Davis Cup again and I’ll give my best.”

After teaming with Hewitt in a first round doubles loss at the Sony Open in Miami, Tomic will next head to Munich to train with the Australian team ahead of the tie.

The 20-year-old Tomic is Australia’s top-ranked male player, and in 2013 has already won the Apia International Sydney, reached the third round at the Australian Open and quarterfinals in Marseille, and has shaved his ranking from No.64 to No.45 since the beginning of the season.