Kazakhstan w VS Australia w

Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth lead Australia to victory against Kazakhstan in Davis Cup

It took two replacement players, including Davis Cup stalwart Lleyton Hewitt, to help restore some pride to Australian tennis.

Facing a 2-0 deficit after dropping the opening singles matches on Friday, Australia came back to win its Davis Cup quarter-final on grass in the tropical northern city of Darwin on Sunday when Sam Groth and Hewitt won their matches in the reverse singles.

Hewitt clinched the quarter-final with a stirring 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-3 win over Aleksandr Nedovyesov; he fell to his back when Nedovyesov's forehand went long and team-mates Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis - who were both replaced in the reverse singles after losing their matches Friday - ran onto the court to hug Hewitt before he went to the net to shake hands with his Kazakh opponent.

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Sam Groth, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis ran onto court to congratulate team-mate Lleyton Hewitt

Hewitt fell to his back when Aleksandr Nedovyesov's shot went long, as he won his reverse singles match

'We didn't have everything go our way this weekend, we had to rally, ' Hewitt said.

Hewitt celebrates during his match against Nedovyesov during day three of the Davis Cup World Group quarter-final tie 'We were playing for the boys on the side of the court and the nation, as well.'

Groth and the 34-year-old Hewitt, who said he plans to retire after next January's Australian Open, won their doubles match Saturday to keep Australia alive.

Australia will now face Britain in September's semi-finals. Britain leads their quarter-final 2-1 going into Sunday's reverse singles in London.

It was the first time since the Davis Cup final against the United States in 1939 that Australia has come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a tie - and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Former Wimbledon champion Hewitt won his match in straight setsm, as he wowed the Darwin crowd

Kyrgios (left and Kokkinakis (centre) did their best to encourage team-mate Hewitt (right) in his vital match

Bernard Tomic was charged with resisting arrest in Miami Beach, Florida, last week after ignoring police requests to turn down loud music

For the past two weeks, the country's two top-ranked players - Bernard Tomic and Kyrgios - have been embroiled in controversy for their actions at Wimbledon and after the tournament.

Groth replaced Kyrgios in the reverse singles after the 20-year-old was criticized for his on-court demeanor in Friday's loss in the second singles match against Kazakhstan, as well as at Wimbledon, where he was fined nearly $10, 000 for racket abuse and swearing.

Australia was also playing without its highest-ranked player, No 25-ranked Tomic, after Tennis Australia suspended him for critical comments against the national association during Wimbledon.