SYDNEY:

World number eight Alex de Minaur pledged Friday to "make life difficult" for Belgium as he strives to put Australia into the Davis Cup finals for a fourth straight year.

But he faces a tricky encounter against 91st-ranked Raphael Collignon in Saturday's opening singles rubber in their second-round qualifier at Sydney.

Collignon made his presence felt at the just-completed US Open, posting a career-best win over world number 12 and former finalist Casper Ruud en route to the third round.

"He's going to come after me and my job is to make his life difficult, basically," said De Minaur, who made the last eight at Flushing Meadows.

"We're playing at home, we're playing at a court that I love, and hopefully I can come out tomorrow, put some good tennis on the board and get us off

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