Quarterfinal January 7

Hewitt's plans dented
By Leo Schlink
08jan05

TAYLOR DENT last night rocked Lleyton Hewitt's Australian Open preparations with a stunning straight sets victory over the world No. 3 in the Next Generation Hardcourts at Memorial Drive in Adelaide.

The son of former Australian Davis Cup player and Australian Open finalist Phil Dent, the American hammered out a deserved 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 quarter-final result on the back of his jackhammer serve.

The strapping serve-volleyer will today face Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in search of his first singles final on Australian soil.

Hewitt will prepare to travel to Sydney for the Medibank International at Homebush Bay, lamenting the two double faults from deuce which cost him a service break at 2-1 in the second set.

But he was not bothered by the defeat, declaring he is still building towards peak form for Melbourne Park after a pair of impressive wins over Arnaud Clement and Agustin Calleri.

"It's disappointing but you have to look at the big picture," Hewitt said.

"I thought I was the better player out there for a set and a half. It was one of those awkward matches.

"Taylor is a bit hit and miss and he's difficult to get rhythm against. I felt I didn't get much of the racquet. The conditions were heavy and probably suited Taylor a bit.

"I've got Sydney next week and I want to be playing my best tennis on January 17 [for the start of the Australian Open]. I don't think for the Australian Open it's [defeat] a huge concern."

Dent, 23, was delighted at finally beating Hewitt, his first success in four attempts.

"It was one of the better matches I've played in a couple of years now," he said.

Dent reflected last night on his emotional dilemma over whether to play Davis Cup for Australia or the US, the nation of his mother Betty Ann Stuart, a former player.

"I would have loved to have played for Australia," he said.

"It was my dream, but the USTA did so much for me, it would have been like kicking sand in their face. It would have reflected poorly on me and my father."

Dent dropped serve only once in the 86-minute contest, saving four break points.

He won 88 percent of his first serve, starving Hewitt of opportunities.

The South Australian was allowed a measly five points for the match on Dent's first ball and converted just one of five break opportunities.

Dent ruins the party for Hewitt

Fifth seed Taylor Dent shocked a capacity crowd at Memorial Drive, Adelaide, tonight when he took out tournament favourite and top seed Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals of the Next Generation Hardcourts 7-6(4) 6-3.

Dent ruined the party for the South Australian, who was using the season opener as a launching pad into Australian Open 2005 and hunting his third title in Adelaide.

"It’s one of those awkward matches," Hewitt said after the one hour, 26 minute match.

"I just didn’t get enough off the racquet. It was heavy conditions, it probably suited him a lot more."

Dent, a semifinalist in Adelaide last year, dominated with his big serve and hustling net game, beating the world No.3 for the first time in four meetings.

"I served really well so it’s a good win for me," the 24-year-old said. "Lleyton is one of the toughest match ups I have on Tour."

The first set proceeded on serve, but it was Dent who pounced on Hewitt’s first serve in the tiebreak to jump ahead 3-0.

Feeling the pressure, Hewitt wrenched out a break in the second set to lead 2-1, but Dent broke back in the next game and turned up the heat in the seventh with a scintillating backhand passing shot down the line. He nabbed the second break to lead 5-3 and, with Hewitt now pulling out some desperate tennis, closed out the match with a massive serve on his third match point.

"I definitely didn’t return my best, no doubt about it," said Hewitt, who will be defending the title in Sydney next week.

"It’s disappointing but you’ve got to look at the big picture, too. Even if I don’t win in Sydney next week it’s no big deal. I’ve had three good matches. You want to be playing your best tennis in a week and a half."

Dent will play Juan Ignacio Chela in the second semifinal on Saturday after the No.4 seeded Argentinian defeated Jurgen Melzer of Austria in three sets this afternoon.

Dent leads Chela 1-0 in career meetings, beating him in five close sets in the second round of the Australian Open last year.

The first semifinal pits unseeded Olivier Rochus of Belgian against Joachim Johansson. They have also played only once before, at a Challenger in Luxembourg last year, with Johansson winning in straight sets.
 

Rd 2 singles

January 6, 2005

Adelaide, January 6 - World No.3 Lleyton Hewitt powered into the quarterfinals of the Next Generation Hardcourts tonight, completely blitzing Argentine's Agustin Calleri 6-1 6-4.

Watched by his girlfriend Bec Cartwright in the stands at Memorial Drive, Adelaide, along with a packed and enthusiastic home crowd, Hewitt ripped through the match in one hour, the first set taking a mere 20 minutes.

The top seed rarely put a foot wrong in his second match en route to capturing, what he hopes will be, a third title at the Drive, and a springboard into Australian Open 2005.

"It was a bit different to the other night," said Hewitt, of his scratchy start to the year against qualifier Arnaud Clement.

"I was pretty happy with the way I was hitting the ball out there."

He plays the winner of tonight's second match between fifth seed Taylor Dent and Julien Benneteau of France.

Hewitt holds a 3-0 record against Dent and is 1-0 against Benneteau.

Looking relaxed and happy this his Home and Away star girlfriend was in attendance, Hewitt said it was Cartwright's first time at a tennis match. "Bec's been great," he said.

"It's the first match she's ever seen."

Rd 1 singles Jan 4

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt passed safely into the second round of the Next Generation Hardcourts at Memorial Drive, Adelaide, tonight, but not without a scare.

Hewitt dropped his first set against French qualifier Arnaud Clement in blustery conditions but quickly lifted his game to take the match 2-6 6-1 6-1.

The sets were short and set mainly on the baseline where Clement found himself out-duelled by the world No.3.

"It was just tough conditions out there tonight," Hewitt said. "I saw a couple of matches today when I was out here warming up. I don’t think anyone played great tennis out there today.

"I was probably trying to be too aggressive in the first set. I went back to just trying to play percentages just trying to get the win out tonight."

Hewitt’s next opponent is Argentinian Agustin Calleri, who earlier defeated Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in straight sets. Calleri, ranked No.58 in the world, had a solid year on hard courts in 2004, reaching the semis at Doha, the quarterfinals at Miami (defeating Andre Agassi in the R16) and the R16 at Indian Wells. He has never played Hewitt before.

"He’s a strong boy," Hewitt said. "He hits the ball extremely hard. He hit Andre (Agassi) off the court. He’s got a lot of firepower, it’s not going to be an easy match. I’ll work him out in the first couple of games, try and get a feel for where his strengths and weaknesses are out there."

Sydney wildcard Todd Reid was the last match on Centre Court tonight, playing Amer Delic of the US. Returning to the circuit for the first time since October, Reid won the first set 6-3 before rain halted the match.

In today’s action, there were few surprises with No.2 seed Joachim Johansson (SWE), No.4 Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) and No.5 Taylor Dent all progressing to the second round.

 

Hewitt rusty but wins Adelaide opener
 
January 4, 2005
 
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) -- Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt opened his 2005 singles season with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over French qualifier Arnaud Clement in a first-round match Tuesday at the Australian men's hardcourt tennis championships.
 
Hewitt had a series of early unforced errors and dropped four consecutive games in the first set. He found his rhythm in the second, taking the final five games and serving out the set with an ace.
 
Hewitt broke Clement with a well-placed backhand lob in the opening game of the third set and kept the momentum.
 
Clement, a former top-10 player and an Australian Open finalist in 2001, was forced to qualify for the tournament after dropping to No. 106 in the rankings at the end of last year.
 
``I tried to go out there and play my game early on and in the end I was probably trying to be a little bit too aggressive,'' Hewitt said. ``I just went back to playing percentages and just trying to get the win and move on to the second round.''
 
Earlier, Sweden's Joachim Johansson beat Australian wild card Marc Kimmich 6-2, 6-4.
 
The second-seeded Johansson, who won his first ATP tournament in 2004 and advanced to the semifinals at the U.S. Open, said he was excited about his chances at the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 17.
 
``I've been here for a month and working very hard, at Melbourne Park practicing for two weeks,'' Johansson said. ``I can't feel better than I do at the moment.''
 
In another match, Taylor Dent beat fellow American Robby Ginepri 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. Dent's dominance at the net was the difference.
 
``I love it here,'' Dent said. ``The courts really suit me well and I love the hot weather.''
 
The fifth-seeded Dent will play Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the next round, and Johansson will meet Belgian Xavier Malisse.
 
Benneteau advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Italian Potito Starace. Malisse beat Spain's Alberto Martin 6-2, 7-6 (1).

Doubles match Jan 3

Lleyton Hewitt opened his Next Generation Hardcourts campaign at Memorial Drive, Adelaide, today with a tight three set doubles encounter partnering his coach, Roger Rasheed.

Hewitt, 23, and Rasheed, 35, played a fierce match against experienced doubles players Jordan Kerr (SA) and Jim Thomas (USA), eventually falling 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 6-2 in two hours, 17 minutes.

"It’s a bit of fun. If I get an opportunity to play a doubles match before my singles, I’ve always done it," said Hewitt, who dropped his serve only once the entire match, in the sixth game of the final set.

"For me it’s more about the conditions and playing a proper match and getting that feel and tension again, and serving on big points. It was good to get to play a couple of breakers out there. They’re the big points and that’s when you want to come out and play your best tennis."

The world No.3 and top seed in Adelaide will play 2001 Australian Open finalist Arnaud Clement of France in his opening singles match tomorrow night.

Now ranked 106 after a patchy year in 2004, Clement won his final qualifying match at the Next Generation Hardcourts beating rising American talent Brian Baker 6-3 6-1. Two other Frenchmen qualified for the main draw and will play each other: Sebastien De Chaunac and Jean-Rene Lisnard.

The final qualifier, 22-year-old Amer Delic, drew Sydney wildcard Todd Reid. While Reid was recovering from the side effects of glandular fever in 2004, Delic built his ranking to No.173 in the world with solid performances on the Challenger circuit and a second round appearance at the US Open in September. This will be their first meeting.

Hewitt holds a 4-0 record against Clement, last beating him in the quarterfinals at Sydney 12 months ago in three sets.

"Of all the qualifiers he’s definitely got the most experience out of the four," Hewitt said. "On paper he’s probably the toughest. If I play well enough, I’ll come away with a win. It’s probably a good situation to play somebody I’ve got a lot of respect for. He’s not going to give me any cheap points".