Hewitt is taking care of business Down Under
By JOHN BROCK, Associated Press Writer
January 18, 2003

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Lleyton Hewitt is at the Australian Open on business, and he says it's only half completed.

Hewitt routed Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in the third round Saturday to move into the second week of the Australian Open.

Hewitt lost the first two games of the match then dropped only three others the rest of the way.

A year ago, the Aussie was recovering from chickenpox and was beaten in the first round. He had arrived as the new No. 1 player, and the quick ouster stung.

He is intent on setting things straight. After Saturday's match, he saluted the crowd and walked to his courtside seat, not with a smile but with gritted teeth.

``It's a big relief,'' he said. ``Nothing went right last year obviously, and there was obviously a lot of pressure and expectation coming into it again this year, being No. 1 seed and being fitter and healthier as well.

``The last few Grand Slams I've been able to play some of my better tennis toward the end rather than at the start. I feel like I'm getting better and better with each match.''

He next faces Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui, seeded 18th, who beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8). Hewitt defeated El Aynaoui in four sets in a quarterfinal at last year's U.S. Open.

Hewitt had few problems against Stepanek, who is ranked No. 68. After the first two games, he ``felt pretty much in control'' and Stepanek was almost reduced to a spectator.

``I thought it would be a little bit tougher than it turned out,'' Hewitt said.

Hewitt has dropped just seven games in his last six sets.

``You really can't go out there and expect to cruise through,'' he said. ``You've got to put your head down and work extremely hard.''

Hewitt made his debut at this event in 1997, becoming the youngest qualifier in the tournament's history. He advanced to the main draw at 15 years, 11 months.

However, the Australian Open has been his least successful Grand Slam. He won the U.S. Open in 2001 and Wimbledon last year and made the French Open quarterfinals in 2001.

Hewitt has now equaled his best effort at his home Grand Slam. He reached the fourth round in 2000, losing to Magnus Norman.

But he wants more.

``I just block everything out,'' he said. ``I just worry about going out there and doing the job. Three down, four to go hopefully.''
Hewitt's easy progress
Saturday, 18 January, 2003
by Scott Spits


(last updated 10pm AEST)

Such was the ease of Lleyton Hewitt's third-round defeat of little-known Czech Radek Stepanek at Rod Laver Arena before a capacity crowd on Saturday night, much of the interest was in his post-match interview with tennis legend John McEnroe.

Hewitt, world No.1 and the great Australian hope to finally produce another men's singles winner here at Melbourne Park, took exactly 90 minutes to wear-down Stepanek 6-3, 6-2, 6-0.

In an entertaining chat with McEnroe that enchanted the crowd, Hewitt exchanged banter with one of the greatest personalities in tennis and was clearly rapt to be in such impressive form in Melbourne after being knocked-out at last year's Open in the first-round when he was hampered by Chickenpox.

"I thought it would be a little bit tougher than it turned out," Hewitt said. "It's a big relief. Nothing went right last year...You don't have to play your best tennis just yet. You've just got to find a way to win in the early rounds."

And the news got even better for Hewitt on Day Six at Australian Open 2003 when Russian No.3 seed and tournament dangerman Marat Safin was forced to withdraw on the eve of his third-round match due to a wrist injury. Subsequently, the top half of the men's draw has really opened up.

Young Americans Andy Roddick and James Blake were two through to the round of 16 on a day that also saw No.7 seed Czech Jiri Novak became the latest big seed to fall, going down to emerging Russian No.25 seed Mikhail Youzhny.

Combined with Safin's forced exit and wins by No.6 seed Swiss Roger Federer, Moroccan No.18 seed Younes El Aynaoui, Roddick and Blake, there is a great chance for such a player to progress far in this tournament. All are in Hewitt's half of the draw. No.10 seed David Nalbandian is another smoky after progressing when his third-round opponent, Belgian Xavier Malisse, pulled out with an arm injury.

Blake, the No.23 seed, defeated Spaniard Alberto Martin in four sets with Blake fighting off Martin in warm conditions as a day-time crowd of 39,618 flocked to Melbourne Park.

The American's win against Spaniard Alberto Martin marked the first time he has reached the fourth-round at a Grand Slam event.

"From all the experienced players I've talked to on the tour, they just say, the second week, it's a whole new tournament. That's what I'm looking forward to," Blake said.

"I feel like I have possibly reached a whole new level by beating players like (Andre) Agassi and (Lleyton) Hewitt, proving that I can beat those top players."

On Show Court Two, El Aynaoui defeated another Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, in four sets, winning the final two sets in tie-breaks. El Aynaoui will now play Hewitt in what poses as a more-challenging assignment for the No.1 seed.

Roddick had a clinical straight-sets victory over yet another Spaniard, Fernando Vicente, winning 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

Earlier, Federer progressed to the fourth-round after a straight-sets win over Sweden's Andreas Vinciguerra. The 21-year-old took just 96 minutes to post a convincing 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory on Vodafone Arena, setting up a fourth-round clash with Nalbandian.

Federer also reached the fourth-round of last year's Australian Open before losing to Germany's Tommy Haas 8-6 in the fifth set of a gripping battle.

Nalbandian advanced when Belgian No.20 seed Malisse pulled out midway through the fourth set of their match on Margaret Court Arena citing an arm injury.

The Argentine Wimbledon finalist was leading 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, 3-0 when Malisse retired.

Also through to the fourth-round as the result of a forfeit is German Rainer Schuettler, whose scheduled third-round opponent, No.3 seed Safin, withdrew due to his injury.