Melbourne Park too slow: Hewitt
Date: 30/12/04
By Sam Lienert

Australia's top tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has criticised the court surface at Melbourne Park, saying it is a factor behind the recent poor record of Australia's top players in the Australian Open.

Hewitt, the world No.3, has never advanced past the fourth round in his home grand slam event, and he said the slow speed of the Melbourne Park courts was partly responsible.

Hewitt said he had repeatedly urged Australian tennis officials to install faster courts at the venue, but there had been no response.

He said himself, retired former world No.1 Pat Rafter and Mark Philippoussis, Australia's top male players in recent years, had all had their best results on fast-paced courts.

"I don't know, at the end of the day it's their tournament, it's the Australian Open's business how they want the court," Hewitt told reporters in Adelaide.

"But I know the US Open would definitely be going up to (US players) Roddick and Sampras and Agassi and asking them what kind of surface they want and how quick they want it.

"At the end of the day, if one of those guys are in the semi or the final then it's making the USTA a hell of a lot of money."

Hewitt said the Melbourne Park courts were slower than they had been five years ago.

"Probably a lot slower," he said.

Hewitt said was not feeling any added pressure from realistically carrying the hopes of the nation into the Australian Open, as the only Australian man in the world's top 100.

"Not really, over the last few years the focus has just been on Flip (Philippoussis) and myself anyway," he said.

"Regardless of whether Flip's at his best right at the moment or not, if anyone gives him an outside shot or not, I've still got to just go out there and worry about my game.

"At the end of the day there's always going to be a lot of pressure, ever since I've probably started and especially since I've been at the top of the game, playing in your home grand slam, so there's not a whole lot I can do about that."

Hewitt treads familiar path

By Leo Schlink
30dec04
The Advertiser

THERE is no place like home for Lleyton Hewitt.

Indisputably proud of his South Australian roots, Hewitt has resisted the temptation to establish a base at an overseas tax haven.

Not for him the lure of Monte Carlo or the ready access to practice facilities in Florida or California.

Content to retreat from the grind of the tour to sedate Adelaide, Hewitt returns next week to Memorial Drive for the Next Generation Hardcourts.

Absent for three years, when he led Australia's Hopman Cup charge, Hewitt is happy to be back at the venue where he won his first ATP Tour title in 1998.

Then, as a 16-year-old student, Hewitt rocked the established order with wins over Scott Draper, Mark Woodforde (now the tournament director), Vince Spadea, Andre Agassi and Jason Stoltenberg, who later coached Hewitt.

The future world No. 1 lost the final to Thomas Enqvist the following season before regaining the title in 2000. He fell in the quarter-finals the following year to German Tommy Haas.

Now he is back at one of the world's oldest tournaments.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to be back in Adelaide playing a real tournament, instead of an exhibition in Perth that I've played in the past few years," he said.

If Hewitt is able to survive a talented field - which includes grand slam aspirants Joachim Johansson and Mario Ancic - he will have the chance to snatch the second seeding for the Australian Open away from world No. 2 Andy Roddick.

A third Adelaide title would have Hewitt sitting in the bottom half of the Australian Open draw, paving the way for a potential night final against Roger Federer on January 30.

It is that ambition that drives Hewitt hardest.

"At the end of the day, as well as I want to do in Adelaide and Sydney, I want to be playing my best tennis when I get to Melbourne," he said.

"There's going to be a lot of pressure and expectation going into the Open, but the focus is to go out there and play my best tennis, starting January 17.

"I've got no injuries. Everything's sweet."

TODD Reid yesterday added an encouraging bookend to a troubled season by landing a prized wildcard into the Next Generation Hardcourts.

The Sydney 20-year-old began the 2004 season in blazing fashion by reaching the quarter-finals at both Memorial Drive and Homebush Bay.

The swashbuckling run accelerated at the Australian Open with wins over Vadim Kutsenko and Sargis Sargsian.

But after he lost in straight sets in the third round to eventual champion Federer, glandular fever and a leg injury hampered his progress.

Apart from a strong showing at the Miami Master Series in March, Reid was limited to cameo glimpses of his undoubted potential.

WORLD No. 24 Jiri Novak, of the Czech Republic, said yesterday he would not play in the Australian Open because of fatigue and increased family commitments.

"I've had quite a difficult season, I need some rest at the moment and so I will surely not make it to Australia," he said. "As of now I want to compete less. Family has to come first."