Exclusive: Hewitt's in another league now
by Bill Scott

With major tennis fame knocking, Hewitt finally has to answer the door at AIG Open.

Oct. 3, Tokyo -- Getting back to the grind of week-to-week ATP tennis is the toughest job currently facing Lleyton Hewitt. The 20-year-old from Adelaide is coming down from a month-long high at which time his U.S. Open crowning achievement offered more career prospects and signaled the official changing of the guard in the men's game.

While Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter are certainly not yet historical figures or totally relegated to the record books, two of that elite triumvirate are aged 30 and over. And Rafter -- Hewitt's big-brother figure on the Australian Davis Cup team -- is seriously planning a long break from the game starting in the New Year which could easily morph into a retirement.

In the mean time, young-gun Hewitt has been given a crash course in learning to cope with the demands of fame, the increase in fortune ($800,000 alone for his U.S. Open triumph last month) and the obligations which come with the territory of suddenly becoming a leading figure in tennis.

Anywhere around the world is a good place for Hewitt to start becoming used to what will surely shape up as a new professional life -- and he's getting a taste of what things will be like on and off court from now on while he plays the AIG Open in Tokyo.

As top seed, the Aussie right-hander was handed a welcome bye into the second round at the Ariake tennis park, a green oasis set on reclaimed land clawed back over the years from Tokyo bay. Hewitt is the constant target of fan attention both on site at the event and the tournament hotel, a luxury tower set smack in the set in a Bladerunner-style utopia-look neighborhood of noodle shops, cutting-edge shopping malls and the massive headquarters of Japan's largest television network.

Slowly, the young player is getting the hang of signing autographs and posing for fan photographs -- the necessary skills that all big names in the sport eventually grow accustomed to. As a public figure who was voted as the third most popular sportsman in all of his native land this week, it's just part of his job. In the Land of the Rising Sun, the right-hander is mobbed by dozens of screaming young fans clamoring for autographs and a piece of their idol's time.

Hewitt's schedule off the court this week included meeting with a group of Grand Prix 500 CC motorcycle racers, a promotion dreamed up as the by the ATP publicity machine cranking towards the eight-man ATP Masters Cup wrap-up in Sydney looming from Nov. 12 where Hewitt will figure as main draw card.

Of course the player does need to concentrate on his play, but he's ready to give the public at least some of what it wants. 'It was good to get out there,' he said after winning his opening match against German journeyman Marc Goellner in Tokyo. 'It's obviously tough coming off the last two events I've played -- the U.S. Open and trying to keep my concentration, and then going through the Davis Cup semi in Sydney. It felt a little strange out there on court, trying to get the cobwebs out.'

Hewitt couldn't help but be pleased with his name recognition at home these heady days. 'Probably there were a lot of people watching the Davis Cup last week,' he said after being notified of his sports poll honor. 'It's obviously a good feeling, deep down I know the Australian public has been behind me the whole time. They've been great, that's why I've had such good results in the Australian tournaments...that's where it all started for me,' explained Hewitt, who won two titles in his hometown Adelaide event as a teenager. I think it shows how passionate I am about playing for Australia in the Davis Cup ties.'

While Hewitt may have copped a load of righteous New York criticism on his way to trophy at the U.S. Open over an alleged racist remark during the James Blake match, all was forgiven within a few hours by the players, though it took the media a week or more to work it out of its system.

Winning the Grand Slam as the third Aussie in five years along with Rafter seems to have smoothed quite a few of Hewitt's image worries. Meanwhile, the game's 'best returner,' according to Sampras, is content to concentrate on his day job.

'I don't know about having won a Grand Slam, but obviously just competing in such big events the last two weeks,' said Hewitt. 'It was not only so physically draining. The last nine matches I've played have been best-of-five-set ones. I've also had some extremely tough matches, very mentally draining. To come out in Sydney a week after doing that, I really had very little time to celebrate the U.S. Open.

'But over last week or so it's starting to sink in what I've done over the last few months, and also that we're going to be in the Davis Cup final.'

Davis Cup against France in Melbourne from Nov. 30 will stand as the highlight of Hewitt's year -- it's all a part of his ingrained Aussie tennis heritage. As point-man for the team, he'll be expected to perform in nation's third consecutive finale in the face of the most intense pressure imaginable. But, that obligation is what he has learned to deal with.

Long-time coach Darren Cahill believes his young charge has the mental strength to live up to expectations on the pro circuit and in in the Davis arena. 'It's always been important that he does well at Grand Slams and the Davis Cup,' said Cahill, dropping a strong hint that Hewitt may not play everywhere or be as available as he was in his early days. 'They have to be his priorities now. Winning single-week tournaments is good, but the priorities now have to be to set himself and pace himself for the really big events.'

Tokyo could be a testing ground for putting into practice the balance between playing to an elite level while remaining a hero in the eyes of the adoring public. That's a balancing act Hewitt will have to learn to get right sooner rather than later.

Rematch between Blake and Hewitt

James Blake has given himself a chance to avenge his controversial US Open defeat by Lleyton Hewitt after fighting back to beat Marcelo Rios in three sets at the Japan Open.

Hewitt, also needing three sets today to defeat Francisco Clavet to reach the semi-final, beat African-American Blake en route to his first grand slam crown last month in Flushing, New York.

His victory over Blake had been a tough affair, and marred by Hewitt's on-court remarks which some viewers deemed racist.

After being foot-faulted by a black line judge for the second time, he gestured to the line judge and then to Blake before shrieking at the umpire: "Look at him mate and tell me what the similarity is. Get him off the court. Look what he's done."

After capturing the match in five sets, he was booed off the court.

"If people took it in the wrong way, then I apologise," Hewitt said after that match, "because it wasn't meant to be in that way."

Blake said after today's 4-6 6-4 6-1 triumph: "There's no residual feelings.

"There's too many matches during the year to put so much stock into just one match. I'll just go out there and try to win.

"We talked about it the next day in the locker room and as I said to the press there, I wanted them to just talk about how well played the match was, we got past it there and we left it in New York.

"We're going to be on tour together hopefully for many years to come, he's proven that he's going to be a force on tour for many years and I'm trying to prove that in my own right.

"I'm just trying to get match wins, I can't worry about things like that.

"I just know that we're going to be out here for many years and hope we can get along and play some great tennis."

After today's win, Hewitt said: "It's a totally new match."

The other semi-final will pit Karol Kucera of Slovakia against Michel Kratochvil of Switzerland.

Kurera ended the surprising run of wild-card Takao Suzuki of Japan 6-3 6-3 in one hour and eight minutes.

Kratochvil needed an hour and 19 minutes to beat defending champion Sjeng Schalken of Holland 6-3 6-4.


Hewitt: Attacks Will Affect Tournaments

Lleyton Hewitt expects many of the world's top players to miss ATP events because of security fears after last month's attacks on America.
Hewitt, playing at the Japan Open in Tokyo, was speaking after his third-round victory over American Michael Russell.
"I think it's definitely gone through everyone's mind who has to hop on a plane nowadays," he said.
"If more stuff had started to happen I really wouldn't like flying at all. I'd like to be back home in Australia a long way from it all.
"As a professional athlete, and especially as a professional tennis player, you have to travel. It's part of the job.
"I'm sure some of the guys may not come to all the tournaments because of it, especially the American players, but I felt pretty comfortable coming here."
The World Trade Center was attacked less than 48 hours after Hewitt's victory over Pete Sampras in the US Open final in nearby Flushing, New York.

Hewitt hits back to reach Japan Open semifinals
By Alastair Himmer


TOKYO (Reuters) - Top seed Lleyton Hewitt has beaten Spaniard Francisco Clavet in three sets to reach the semifinals of the Japan Open tennis championships.

In the women's draw, top seed Monica Seles overcame a sore ankle to beat Japan's Ai Sugiyama 7-5 6-4 and reach the final, where she will play second seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand or eighth-seeded South African Joannette Kruger.

U.S. Open champion Hewitt, who arrived in Japan after leading Australia to a third straight Davis Cup final, came from a set down to beat the eighth-seeded Clavet 4-6 6-4 6-2 in a shade under two hours at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum on Friday.

It took Hewitt until the final set to find the range on his groundstrokes, but when he did the 20-year-old from Adelaide unleashed some crunching service returns to break Clavet twice.

"I was going for shots that weren't on in the first set, but then I went back to basics and started going for the right balls," said Hewitt, who completed proceedings with a trademark forehand pass on his second match-point.

The world number three will face unseeded James Blake, his opponent when the Australian allegedly made racist remarks in his second-round match against the American at the U.S. Open, in Saturday's semifinal.

Blake upset seventh seed Marcelo Rios with a 4-6 6-4 6-1 victory in the day's first quarter-final, 24 hours after knocking out fourth seed Jonas Bjorkman.

Rios's chances of back-to-back titles went up in smoke as the 25-year-old Chilean's game suddenly deserted him after clinching the first set.

The former world number one, who won the Hong Kong Open on Sunday, committed a string of unforced errors, particularly on his forehand, and was forced to save four match-points on serve to avoid a final-set whitewash.

Blake, currently ranked 109th in the world, eventually sealed victory on his fifth match-point after one hour, 39 minutes to set up the chance of revenge against Hewitt.

WATER UNDER BRIDGE

Blake insisted, though, that the U.S. Open controversy was water under the bridge.

"It's always fun to avenge a loss. It would be unbelievable to beat the U.S. champion and a Davis Cup hero," said the 21-year-old New Yorker. "There is no residual feeling. We talked in the locker room and left it all in New York."

Seles called an injury time-out after twisting her right ankle in the first set, which the American took 7-5 after coming back from 5-4 down with Sugiyama on serve.

After trading breaks with the third-seeded Sugiyama in the second set, Seles turned up the pressure on her returns and broke to love in the 10th game to take the match in one hour, 43 minutes.

"I turned my ankle over and it worried me at first because I couldn't put any weight on it. But the trainer did a fantastic job and I was just happy to pull it out in two sets," said the winner of nine grand slams.


Early scare for Hewitt

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt overcame an early scare to reach the semi-finals of the Japan Open in Tokyo after a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory against Spain’s Francisco Clavet.

After cruising through his previous matches, Hewitt was forced to battle hard against the eighth-seed Clavet needing just under two hours to secure the win. Hewitt, the US Open winner, now meets James Blake in a repeat of their controversial Round 2 clash at the US Open when the Australian allegedly made racist remarks.

"I was going for shots that weren't on in the first set, but then I went back to basics and started going for the right balls," Hewitt said.

Blake upset seventh seed and defending champion Marcelo Rios with a 4-6 6-4 6-1 victory in the day's first quarter-final, 24 hours after knocking out fourth-seed Jonas Bjorkman.

Blake said the US Open controversy was water under the bridge.

"It's always fun to avenge a loss. It would be unbelievable to beat the US champion and a Davis Cup hero," the 21-year-old New Yorker said. "There is no residual feeling. We talked in the locker room and left it all in New York."

The Chilean former world No.1 made the perfect start breaking Blake’s serve in the first game and went on to take the opening set. But the 21-year-old American stormed back with flawless tennis to take the second and third sets.

Blake triumphed in the 98-minute match without facing a single break point against him in the last two sets.

"I felt pretty well the whole match. The first set, I felt that was a very high level of tennis, and he just played a great game to break me," Blake said. "He can play top 10 tennis, even number one tennis. I just hang in there, got a little lucky, played some great tennis at big times at the end of the second set.

"Once it was even at one set all, I knew I should try to step up as much as I can and put pressure on, and when I did that, it just happened to be at the right time, I was playing really well.

"My level jumped even a couple more levels, I just happened to see so many shots going in. To be honest, I've never played that well. It feels great to do that in a big tournament against a great player."

Hewitt Roll Continues at Japan Open Tennis

By Alastair Himmer

TOKYO (Reuters) - Top seed Lleyton Hewitt was in a hurry again on Thursday as the U.S. Open  champion crushed American Michael Russell 6-1 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Open tennis championships.

The 20-year-old Australian jumped all over Russell from the start, pinning the 15th seed behind the baseline with the depth and accuracy of his groundstrokes in a one-sided match that lasted just 52 minutes at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum.

Hewitt, who arrived in Japan after leading Australia to a third consecutive Davis Cup final, won 78 percent of points on his first serve, and 92 percent on his second, en route to a meeting with eighth seed Francisco Clavet.

The Spaniard cruised to a 6-3 6-4 victory over 11th seed Nicolas Massu of Chile on an outside court.

Hewitt, who took just 49 minutes to beat Germany's Marc-Kevin Goellner on Wednesday, said he had been ``wary'' of Russell after watching the American squander a match point against world number one Gustavo Kuerten  at this year's French Open 

``He's a really good player, but I didn't give him many chances. I attacked the right balls and served well on the big points,'' said the world number three, who is playing his first professional tournament in Japan.

Hewitt speeds to victory in Japan Open
By Alastair Himmer

TOKYO, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Top seed Lleyton Hewitt demolished Germany's
Marc-Kevin Goellner 6-2 6-2 to advance to the third round of the Japan Open
tennis championships on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old Australian, who climbed to number three in the world after
winning the U.S. Open last month, took just 49 minutes to win at Tokyo's
Ariake Colosseum.

In the women's draw, Monica Seles made short work of South Korean Cho
Yoon-Jeong, winning 6-2 6-3, but the top seed complained of concentration
lapses after dropping her serve twice in succession in the second set.

"I let her back in the match at the start of the second set and I'm not happy
about that. I'll definitely have to improve on my concentration in the next
match," said the American world number nine.

Hewitt dropped just two points on serve in the second set as the depth and
accuracy of his groundstrokes continued to force errors from the demoralised
Goellner. The difference between the players was evident on the key points,
with Hewitt able to summon up a big serve or a winning pass almost at will.

Hewitt, who arrived in Tokyo after helping Australia reach a third straight
Davis Cup final, clinched the opening set with a wrong-footing forehand pass
and completed proceedings with an acrobatic backhand volley on his first
match point.

"It was a bit strange to be out there after playing in two huge events before
this. But it was good to play and to get the cobwebs out," said Hewitt, who
will play American Michael Russell, the 15th seed, in the next round

Hewitt quickly into form

From our wire services

04oct01

News Interactive

TOKYO: Top seed Lleyton Hewitt has made quick work of struggling German Marc-Kevin Goellner to get his Japan Open campaign off to an easy start here.

Hewitt, fresh from winning his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last month, continued his excellent form in beating the German 6-2 6-2 in 52 minutes.

Second seed Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands opened the defence of his singles title by beating Christian Vinck, while crowd favourite Michael Chang advanced against Axel Pretzsch.

Both Schalken and the fast-running American went through with 6-3 6-4 scorelines against their German opponents.

Hewitt, who received a bye in the first round as one of the top eight men's seeds, was glad to go through to the third in comfortable fashion after his recent exertions in more high-profile events.

"It's obviously tough coming off the last two events I played in and try to keep my concentration going through the Davis Cup in Sydney. It's not only physically draining but also mentally draining," he said.

"It's tough coming out to the first couple of matches in a smaller tournament after such big events."

Hewitt, who scored two singles wins to help Australia beat Sweden for a place in the Davis Cup final last week in Sydney, got off to a sluggish start.

After breaking the first game of the first set on a Goellner double fault, Hewitt failed to hold his serve in the following game. But he soon moved into top gear and was never in danger for the remainder of the match, serving to love four times out of seven games and giving only three points in the others.