World No.2 Roger Federer is confident his blockbuster Hopman Cup clash with Jack Sock will go ahead despite the American's injury concerns.
Sock retired hurt with a hip injury while trailing by a set in his clash with Japan's Yuichi Sugita on Tuesday.
It continues a horror run of injuries to the world's best players, with question marks also surrounding the fitness of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori, and Stan Wawrinka heading into the Australian Open.
Hopman Cup organisers are confident Sock will be fit to play in Thursday night's sell-out clash with Federer at Perth Arena.
Both the US and Switzerland are unbeaten after two ties, meaning the winner of Thursday night's showdown will progress to the Hopman Cup final on Saturday.
"I think he'll be fine," Federer said of Sock.
"There was no reason for him to take a major chance on his health so short before the Australian Open (in his match on Tuesday).
"We'll see all the players having this kind of a thought moving forward in the next 10 or 12 days, because you don't want to get hurt now.
"I think he should be OK with a day's rest. At least I hope so."
Sock is ranked eighth in the world and will give Federer his biggest test of the summer so far.
Federer is yet to drop a set at the Hopman Cup, disposing of Sugita and Russian Karen Khachanov in his first two singles matches.
His battle against Khachanov was a tight tussle, with Federer saving a set point in the second-set tiebreak before prevailing 6-3 7-6 (10-8) in front of 13,943 fans - a record crowd for the Hopman Cup.
Federer predicts his battle with Sock will be even tougher.
Sock has never beaten Federer in four previous attempts.
But Sock put up a huge fight at the ATP Finals in November, with Federer prevailing 6-4 7-6 in a tough match.
"I'm a big fan of him," Federer said.
"He's had a great year end run with the World Tour Finals and Paris, winning that.
"Especially (here), it's going to be even more fun. Because it's a bit more light-hearted.
"I think it's going to be an extra danger in a surrounding like this.
"It's the perfect set up to play against me here, because what's there to lose? Absolutely nothing.
"And he can try out a few things. So it makes it hard for me sometimes."
Former world No.7 Belinda Bencic will take on world No.10 CoCo Vandeweghe in the women's singles rubber.
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