Rafter fears for Lleyton
July 14, 2004

PAT Rafter says Lleyton Hewitt is running the risk of burn-out because he's so passionate but Mark Philippoussis, whose year went from bad to worse with another first-round loss today, is paying the price for rarely being passionate enough.

Hewitt trains the house down and plays every point as though it's his last, a whole-hearted approach that has earned him the Wimbledon and US Open titles and the world No.1 ranking, but Rafter fears it will end up cutting short the 23-year-old's career.

"Lleyton's going to go very, very hard - he's probably going to burn himself out quite early," Rafter told Channel Ten.

"It seems that way. He just goes so hard. I don't think anyone can sustain the way Lleyton plays the game. He keeps doing things that surprise you, nothing ever surprises me with Lleyton, but he's going to struggle."

Philippoussis' girlfriend has a song called Born To Try, but the two-time grand slam finalist must feel like giving up after suffering his eighth first-up loss from his last nine tournaments today.

He was beaten 6-1 7-5 by Frenchman Julien Benneteau at the $525,550 Mercedes-Benz Cup in Los Angeles, ensuring his world ranking, which was a lofty ninth at the end of last year, will continue to plummet.

He was 45th at the start of the week, but is likely to drop outside the top 50 because he's blown the ranking points he earned by reaching the semi-finals in LA last year.

"He's got an incredible game," said Rafter.

"He's one of the strongest players on the tour and has been for the last ten years, but I think he finds it hard to keep it going mentally day in and day out. Probably he doesn't do as much work as a lot of the other guys and now it's starting to come back and bite him."

Philippoussis saved two match points in the tenth game of the second set with an ace and an unplayable serve, but he was merely delaying the inevitable, bowing out shortly afterwards with a double fault.

He's lost 17 straight sets on hardcourts since the Australian Open in January and, even more alarmingly, lost every single match he's played in ATP tournaments apart from three victories on grass at Wimbledon, where he lost to Tim Henman in the fourth round.

Philippoussis' conquerors during his horror run have been Olivier Rochus (world No.115 at the time), Mikhail Youzhny (34), Jan Hernych (138), Tommy Robredo (113), Joachim Johansson (113), Luis Horna (34), Ian Flanagan (866) and now Benneteau (72).

Delta Goodrem's song made it to No.1 - a position Philippoussis seems increasingly unlikely to ever occupy on the world rankings.

AAP

Hewitt's Emotional Exertions Could Exhaust Him

By Richard Pagliaro
Tennis Week
07/15/2004

The backward baseball cap covers the mind of one of tennis' top thinkers. Lleyton Hewitt's mental strength — and inner inferno of intensity — have helped fuel his rise to the No. 1 ranking and two Grand Slam championships.

But Hewitt's friend and former Davis Cup teammate, Patrick Rafter, is concerned extreme exertions of emotional energy could exhaust Hewitt, burn out his body and short circuit a career that has produced some electrifying moments. "Lleyton's going to go very, very hard — he's probably going to burn himself out quite early," Rafter told Australia's Channel Ten in comments reprinted by the AAP. "It seems that way. He just goes so hard. I don't think anyone can sustain the way Lleyton plays the game. He keeps doing things that surprise you, nothing ever surprises me with Lleyton, but he's going to struggle."

Former Grand Slam champions ranging from Jim Courier to Michael Chang to Hewitt's childhood hero, Mats Wilander, each played physically-demanding baseline styles that often required them to outlast opponents before ultimately draining their desire and limiting their life span in that elite existence at the top of tennis.

While Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi each enjoyed success into their 30s, both Americans had the ability to take the ball early from the baseline, dictate the direction of rallies and play a more offensive style of tennis than Hewitt, one the sport's best defensive players since Wilander.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Rafter suggests Hewitt's ability to shorten points could lengthen his career.

While the man who partnered with Max Mirnyi to claim the 2000 U.S. Open doubles championship is certainly capable of concluding points at the net and moves forward as well or better than most baseliners, he has been understandably reluctant to tamper with a winning formula. Rather than risk moving forward into the front court, Hewitt has been content to wage a war of wills from the baseline and rely on his consistency, counter-punching and quick court coverage to overcome opponents.

The 23-year-old Hewitt's determined desire and fast feet remain his greatest asset, but neither quality consistently helps shorten points in the manner of a Sampras first serve, an exquisite Edberg volley or a well-placed Agassi return.

While Hewitt lacks the all-court acumen of Roger Federer, the stinging serve of Andy Roddick, the pure power of Marat Safin or the forceful forehand of Juan Carlos Ferrero, the Australian consistently competes well and rarely beats himself on the court with errors.

The man Rafter beat to claim the 1998 U.S. Open championship — Mark Philippoussis — may well be more physically gifted than Hewitt, however the 2003 Wimbledon finalist's commitment has been questioned during a dismal 2004 season. Philippoussis has failed to sustain the form that saw him conclude the 2003 season ranked No. 9 in suffering nine opening-round setbacks in 12 tournaments on the season. Once one of the most feared hard-court players in the game, Philippoussis has surrendered 17 straight sets on hard courts since falling to Hicham Arazi, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January.

"He's got an incredible game," Rafter said of Philippoussis. "He's one of the strongest players on the tour and has been for the last ten years, but I think he finds it hard to keep it going mentally day in and day out. Probably he doesn't do as much work as a lot of the other guys and now it's starting to come back and bite him."

The 31-year-old Rafter returns to tennis when he makes his 2004 World TeamTennis debut on Wednesday, July 21st as his Philadelphia Freedoms play the Springfield Lasers. Rafter will travel to Delaware the next night, Thursday, July 22nd, for a match against the Delaware Smash before heading to St. Louis meet the St. Louis Aces for his final match on Saturday, July 24th. Tickets are now available Rafter's matches by calling the Philadelphia Freedoms/Delaware Smash at (866) WTT-TIXS, the St. Louis Aces at (314) 726-ACES or by visiting World TeamTennis.com.

"I’ve never played it before and I figure it's more opportunity for me to keep fit," Rafter said of his WTT appearances. "I do enjoy playing fun tennis and its good to do something that you still love. The season fit nice into my schedule. I want to have fun, my days of playing tennis are over (on the ATP tour), but it’s nice to get out and hit some tennis balls every few months… I’m really looking forward to playing."

Applying the team concept to an individual sport has always appealed to Rafter, a passionate Davis Cup participant in his playing days.

"I love playing team sports and being with a group of people. You’re playing for a team, you’re not playing individually," Rafter said. "I just love it. One thing I really miss about being a tennis player is not being a part of a team atmosphere, more than Davis Cup."

Taking a hit for the team has become standard practice for Rafter, who now spends some of his spare time playing Australian rules football.

"I always wanted to play a contact sport. I thought it was a good sport for me to try. I understood the sport, but had conflict in how to play it," Rafter said. "I’ve been training a couple nights a week and have really enjoyed it. I absolutely love it, but I don’t enjoy the next day when you wake up and things aren’t moving as well."

Life off the ATP Tour has given Rafter the opportunity to pursue the full-time career he loves most: being a dad to son, Joshua Patrick Rafter, who celebrates his second birthday on August 1st.

"I try to spend a lot of time at home with my son. I always have odds and ends types of things going on whether it’s a charity-related thing or business-related back here in Australia," Rafter said of his daily life. "My weeks go by quite quickly. I don’t have any set day-to-day schedules, but looking after a kid can be full time as well."

Second service
BRUCE WILSON
11jul04
www.thesundaymail.news.com.au

TENNIS players Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters seem likely to get married twice, with ceremonies in Adelaide and Belgium to keep both families happy.

The question is: when? There was a widespread rumour last weekend that the two were to have a swift and secret ceremony in Belgium to put an end to speculation. "That was never really on," a friend said.

One London newspaper speculated there was a "mystery" why Clijsters, 21, did not sit in the players' friends' box on centre court during Hewitt's matches at Wimbledon. It sparked talk of a rift between her and Hewitt's mother Cherilyn over the wedding plans.

However, the reason was not so much a rift as Clijsters making room for others who rarely get the thrill of sitting in those seats.

It was noted that Cherilyn and Kim ate at separate tables in the players' restaurant. The explanation for that was that Kim and Cherilyn were seeing any amount of each other at home.

Plans for the wedding are so advanced that Clijsters' dress is being made. The window of opportunity seems to be somewhere between late October and February.

February is favourite – a wedding then would allow each to play in the Australian Open in January before leaving for Europe and the annual claycourt schedule.

Hewitt, 23, has been quoted as saying he is leaving the plans to his fiancee: "I'll just rock up, mate – she can organise it."

Friends of both said Clijsters was determined to have at least one grand event, with six bridesmaids and other assorted attendants. But whether there will be two on such a scale remains uncertain.

During Wimbledon it was made clear there would be a wedding in her home town of Bilzen, in the Belgium province of Limburg, while Hewitt's ever-present parents were insisting on an Adelaide event.

What makes Bilzen favourite for the first ceremony is that Clijsters has chosen a local dressmaker, Nicky Vankets, 25, from nearby Beverlo, to make her dress.

Clijsters is a local heroine in Belgium and is under pressure from her Dutch-speaking community to get married there.

And, of course, there is pressure from her parents, Leo and Els.

Glynn and Cherilyn Hewitt are known throughout the tennis world – with a mixture of affection and exasperation – as "the Griswolds" and can be argumentative and fractious over what is best for their son.

They can be amiable and are unmistakable in their shorts, tennis shirts and baseball caps. But nobody denies they threw a protective blanket over Lleyton from which he has taken time to emerge.

The Hewitts have used their influence to separate their son from the media, especially the Australian media. He still refuses virtually all requests for one-on-one interviews, though he is both informative and amusing in his compulsory post-match press conferences.

He seems often to be ill-advised. For instance, he barred Australian tennis writers from his pre-Wimbledon briefing at Queen's Club, in London, while admitting the British press, who simply carried our tape-recorders in for us.

Those who have observed him over the years give Clijsters great credit for taking what might be called the larrikin edge off him.

"He is a much more adult and happy man since Kim," said a senior former Australian player and coach.