Hewitt's No.1 spot in doubt
By MARGIE McDONALD
01nov01

The Australian

LLEYTON HEWITT's bid to finish the year bathed in glory by grabbing the world No.1 ranking on home soil is largely out of his hands.

It lies instead with his nemesis Gustavo Kuerten and his progress at this week's Paris Masters Series after Hewitt bowed out in the first round with a stomach complaint.

If the Brazilian does not win another match in Paris, which is highly unlikely, he will arrive in Sydney for the year-ending Masters Cup final (Nov 12-18) a hunted man with 764 points.

That would put him 41 points ahead of Hewitt in the ATP champions race.

But with 150 points up for grabs in Sydney, Hewitt could catch him.

If Kuerten wins the Paris event he will collect 100 points and sit on 856 in Sydney – 133 clear of Hewitt.

With a maximum of five matches possible in Sydney (three preliminary rounds, a semi-final and the final) and points awarded for each win, Kuerten would need to win only once to make it impossible for Hewitt to overtake him.

While everyone else is doing the maths, Hewitt wasn't bothered by the No. 1 champions race disappearing over the baseline after his three-set second-round loss to Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti yesterday 4-6 6-4 6-4.

"Not at all. If someone told me after I lost the second round in Indianapolis (in August, two weeks before US Open) that I had a chance at No. 1, I would have laughed at you," Hewitt said in Paris.

"What's happened, has happened. It's been great but it really doesn't worry me."

Of more concern is making sure he is 100 per cent fit for the Masters Cup and then the Davis Cup final against France.

A stomach complaint hit him halfway through the second set against Lapentti.

Hewitt and Kuerten show no obvious signs of the rivalry and practised together before their second-round matches.

"Guga's a great guy," Hewitt said. "It really doesn't worry me at all. I think it's good to get out there and hit with the best players in the world."

Kuerten's next opponent will be the winner of the match between Andy Roddick (US) and Sjeng Schalken (The Netherlands), which follows Mark Philippoussis's match against fourth-seeded Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

When asked if he had spoken to fellow Sydney-bound Australian Pat Rafter on the progress of his shoulder injury, Hewitt showed he hadn't lost his sense of humour.

"Yeah, he's struggling. He can't hit a ball over the net. You know, he's going to be useless . . ."

In Germany, Nathalie Tauziat broke down in tears after losing 6-3 6-4 to Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in the last singles match of her career.

"I didn't think it would be that hard," Tauziat said following her first-round exit from the WTA Championships in Munich.

The 34-year-old Frenchwoman will make her doubles farewell in next week's Fed Cup finals in Madrid, where Germany grabbed the vacant spot left by the United States, who withdrew over security concerns.

In other results, new world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati struggled for 90 minutes but eventually posted a 2-6 6-3 6-3 victory over Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva.

Serena Williams, playing her first tournament since the US Open final, had a decisive 6-0 6-2 victory against Italian Silvia Farina-Elia.

Hewitt Stunned in Paris October 30 2001

Second seed Lleyton Hewitt suffered a setback in his bid to finish the year as the World No. 1 as he was defeated by Nicolas Lapentti in the second round of the Tennis Masters Series Paris on Tuesday. 

Hewitt, currently in second position in the ATP Champions Race and 34 points behind Gustavo Kuerten at the start of the tournament, lost his opening match for the first time this year as he went down 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Lapentti. 

The US Open champion, who withdrew from the Stockholm Open last week, refused to blame injury for his defeat, saying: "If I wasn't 100 percent, then I wouldn't have gone out there. I went out there and gave everything I had."

Lapentti, who saved match points to defeat Anthony Dupuis in the first round on Monday, recovered from losing the first set to break the Hewitt serve in the seventh game of the second set and gain control of the match. In the final set, another break of serve in the ninth game gave Lapentti the chance to serve for the match, and the 25-year-old from Guayaquil sealed a famous victory with a winning volley. 

"He played a great match," said Hewitt. "I'm not going to take anything away from the way that he played and the way that he fought back after a tough match yesterday."

A bad stomach problem certainly didn't help matters for Hewitt, however. "It was strange," said Hewitt. "[It was the] same kind of thing that I had at the end of last year. It's the reason why I pulled out of here at the end of last yearÖI was feeling fine going through the match. Halfway through the second set, same sort of problem came. I don't know why. There's not a whole lot you can do about it out there."

Top seed Gustavo Kuerten ended his five-match losing streak and capitalized on Hewitt's loss by defeating Bohdan Ulihrach 6-2, 6-4 in 54 minutes to reach the third round. The victory means he will increase his lead at the top of the ATP Champions Race to 48 points. He will now meet either Stockholm champion Sjeng Schalken or Andy Roddick, who play on Wednesday. 

In first round action, 1996 champion Thomas Enqvist earned a meeting with fellow countryman Thomas Johansson with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over local favorite Nicolas Escude, while Ivan Ljubicic defeated Carlos Moya 7-5, 6-1. 

Hewitt gets boost from ATP boss
Lleyton Hewitt received a double boost with welcome backing from ATP Tour boss Mark Miles and another first up defeat for Champions Race rival Gustavo Kuerten.

US Open champion Hewitt was under the gun yesterday, fined $US40,000 fine and heavily criticised by organisers when he pulled out of this week's Stockholm Open a day after it started.

The tournament officials were sorely disappointed as Hewitt was the top seed and they'd based their publicity around him and even arranged a private jet to fly him in from Luxembourg before he cancelled.

However tour CEO Miles publicly supported Hewitt, who'd accepted he would be fined but said he didn't think he could get through the tournament because of back pain.

"While I completely understand the deep disappointment that tournament organisers and fans feel any time an exciting, top-ranked player such as Lleyton Hewitt must withdraw from an event, we should keep in mind the player's perspective," said Miles.

"Once a player determines that he's not fit enough to compete at a professional level, it is his responsibility even when facing fines and losing a chance at prize money to not take a place in the draw."

It should be no surprise to the Stockholm organisers that Hewitt's back could be troubling him, given the workload he's carried.

His consistent good form has seen him play 90 singles matches in 2001 - more than any other player. He's hardly had a rest since Wimbledon and he'd won 17 matches straight before losing in the Stuttgart semi-finals last week.

The week off is timely and even more so since faltering Champions Race leader Kuerten bombed out in the first round at the Swiss Open, his fifth consecutive loss.

Kuerten was toppled by 67th-ranked Frenchman Julien Boutter in straight sets 7-6 (7-3) 6-2, ruining his chances of extending his slender points lead on Hewitt in the battle to end the season as the tour's No.1.

"I'm really angry about this," said Kuerten.

"I'm not able to reverse this.

"I had a lot of chances and lost them. I don't have much confidence right now in my game. I feel this losing streak is giving me a lot of trouble. It's tough to see another week without any more matches."

Hewitt is just 34 points behind the Brazilian but at best could only have closed to within four points if he'd played and won the Stockholm title because it's a relatively minor event.

The real sorting out will come next week at the Paris Masters and again two weeks later at the season-ending Masters Cup in Sydney.

Hewitt's withdrawal riles Edberg

World number one aspirant Lleyton Hewitt today defended himself after his late withdrawal from the Stockholm Open angered organisers including tennis great Stefan Edberg.

US Open champion Hewitt faces a fine of up to $US50,000 ($A98,250) from the ATP Tour after pulling out a day after the tournament started, citing a back problem.

The 20-year-old Australian was top seed for the event, where he'd signed a preliminary deal to play, and he had requested last week that his first round match be delayed until Wednesday.

However his coach Darren Cahill rang and told organisers he would not be playing just 10 minutes before they were to send a private jet to collect him from Luxembourg.

It was the second year in a row Hewitt had pulled out of the event and organisers, including committee member Edberg, were furious.

While they did not accuse Hewitt of faking injury to take a rest before resuming his Champions Race battle with Gustavo Kuerten, Edberg made it clear they would not chase his signature again next year.

"The injury situation is tough, there is not a lot you can do," said Edberg.

"You have to believe the players.

"But players need to realise that they are part of a chain.

"They've got to think 'Maybe the event really needs me'."

Edberg's overview of the unfortunate situation: "It stinks."

"We have been informed by the ATP that that Hewitt will be fined a substantial amount of money," he said.

Hewitt's management responded to the furore by issuing a statement in which he insisted his injury concern was genuine.

"I've never begun a tournament that I didn't think I could finish just to receive a guarantee - and I'm not going to start now," Hewitt said.

"I will get fined for pulling out this week, but I would rather pay it than be unprofessional and compete in a tournament when I'm not physically able to give it my all."

That did not fully appease the organisers.

"We're not accusing him of faking an injury," tournament director Per Hjertquist said. "But it's damned sad.

"We're just sorry that he didn't come to Stockholm.

"We would have hoped that he had respected the agreement."

The withdrawal followed several days of suspense and trans-Atlantic telephone calls after organisers became concerned by comments Hewitt made last week in Stuttgart where he lost in the semi-finals.

"The disturbing thing is that we began hearing rumours last week that he might not play here," said Hjertquist.

"He was telling that to other players in Stuttgart.

"We were told last night at 6:30 by his agent that he was coming. We then heard in a telephone conversation this morning at 11 that he was not."

After his Stuttgart loss, Hewitt travelled to Luxembourg where his Belgian girlfriend Kim Clijsters is top seed in a WTA Tour event this week.

Hjertquist said the ATP Tour needed to look again at the issue of player withdrawals from tournaments.

"This is not just a Lleyton Hewitt problem, it's one for tennis," said the disappointed official.

"This is going to hurt us, even though we have good players like Sebastien Grosjean, Marcelo Rios and Mark Philippoussis in the field.

"It does not leave us with a very nice feeling about things."

Hewitt's California-based agent Tom Ross also made a statement supporting his withdrawal.

"We have been in frequent contact with tournament organisers, and initially with the Tour, since it became apparent Lleyton could not compete and challenge for the title in Stockholm this week," Ross said.

"We support Lleyton's decision to rest his injury rather than begin a tournament to earn an appearance fee, which the tournament was encouraging him to do, or to simply avoid a fine.

"We are 100 per cent behind Lleyton and, for that matter, any athlete that rests an injury instead of playing unfit.

Hewitt's pot of gold
23 oct 2001

LLEYTON HEWITT is in line for a multi-million dollar bonanza if he wins the 2001 ATP Champions Race.

Apart from the countless endorsement offers that inevitably follow grand slam success and the rise to tennis's top ranking, Hewitt stands to collect a $US1.75 million ($A3.44 million) bonus from the ATP for being the year-ending No.1.

The 20-year-old South Australian has already earned $4.39 million in prize money this year after winning five tournaments, including the US Open, as he homes in on points race leader Gustavo Kuerten.

Throw in what he earns from the remaining big-money events, including the season-ending Masters Cup in Sydney next month, and income generated from his numerous sponsorship deals and Hewitt is set to be Australian sport's $10 million man in 2001.

An ATP spokeswoman said today Hewitt would collect $A885,000 on the spot if he was No.1 on November 19 and another $A2.55 million at the end of next year providing he meets certain playing commitments.

He must play all four grand slams, the nine Masters Series events (plus the Masters Cup if he qualified) in 2002 and also include at least two of 11 lower tier tournaments.

His bonus would be reduced by a third for every mandatory event he missed.

Even if Hewitt was to remain second in the Champions Race, he stands to pocket $A2.55 million from the bonus pool of more than $A19.65 million.

All players ranked in the top 50 are rewarded each year.

While Hewitt's management company Octagon said today it wasn't policy to disclose details of its client's endorsement deals, it acknowledged life's good for L G Hewitt.

"It's fair to say the better a player does the better they do in terms of sponsorship," John McCurdy said.

McCurdy said apart from his major sponsors Yonex and Nike, Hewitt also enjoyed contracts with Valiant Furniture, Ubisoft, Japanese company Nissan Noodles, as well as American Express during the US Open.

"Lleyton's profile is growing all the time," he said.

"As a company, Octagon is very selective as to who we align Lleyton with.

"There are a number of major categories we're looking at but one of our main priorities is protecting Lleyton's time.

"We're conscious of not over burdening him with commitments."

But McCurdy said his charge's "whole focus" was not top-dog status and a massive financial windfall, but to win the Masters Cup and Australia's Davis Cup final against France at Melbourne Park.

"As for finishing the year as No.1, if it happens it happens," he said.

Australian Davis Cup team-mate Patrick Rafter was full of admiration for Hewitt and said his young compatriot thoroughly deserved any rewards that followed his startling progress.

"Lleyton has so many attributes that you'd like to have as part of your game and that's the reason why he is close to being the No.1 player in the world right now," Rafter said from his Noosa Heads training base.

"His tenacity, his day-in, day-out dedication to the game, his speed and his mental toughness is second to none right now.

"I really would love to see him take the spot.

"He's definitely proved he's the No.1 player on the tour over the last couple of months, that's for sure."

Rafter, a dual US Open champion and two-time Wimbledon finalist, said the way Hewitt was coping with life after his grand slam breakthrough at Flushing Meadows was a credit to him.

"I found the biggest pressure (on me) was after winning my first grand slam and dealing (with) backing up in tournaments after that, and I thought Lleyton might struggle with that," Rafter said.

"But he's been really dynamite."

Rafter was 26 when he reached the world summit briefly in 1999, but said no-one need be shocked if Hewitt touched the top before he turned 21.

"Certain players have done it at young age and everyone's different," the two-time Wimbledon finalist said.

"Although Lleyton is a slight figure, he has been very imposing for the last couple of years.

"He's got himself into position this year to become the No.1 player, so I'm not really surprised because you look at guys like (Boris) Becker and (Pete) Sampras who were very good at that age as well.

"But it always is a bit of a phenomenon to see someone so young to be that good and Lleyton does have those qualities."

Hewitt and Rafter will lead Australia's charge against France at Melbourne Park from November 30.

Rafter said he first noted Hewitt's undoubted Davis Cup credentials long before his seven wins from seven rubbers so far this year.

"He was a great ally when he was playing in 1999. He was one of the guys you wanted in the team two or three years ago," Rafter said.

"His record is impeccable, he's an incredibly good team man - he would have been excellent in a team environment like a footy (team).

Hewitt pulls out of Stockholm Open with back injury
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt has pulled out of the $800,000 Stockholm Open due to a back injury, tournament organisers said.

Tournament director Per Hjertqvist told a news conference that the world number two, who was top seed in Stockholm, had been forced to withdraw due to the injury.

Lucky loser Jan Vacek of the Czech Republic earned the vacant place in the 32-player men's singles main draw.

Earlier Hewitt's fellow Australian Patrick Rafter pulled out of the Stockholm Open with a shoulder injury.

Australia are to play France in the Davis Cup final from November 30 to December 2. Hewitt also plans to team up with Alicia Molik in the Hopman Cup in December.

Rafter sends Hewitt long distance praise
Tuesday, 23 October, 2001

STOCKHOLM, Oct 22 AFP - While Lleyton Hewitt was preparing to travel north to start as top seed at the $US800,000 ($A1.58 million) Stockolm Open, the young Australian was receiving plenty of long-distance support and encouragement today from one of the men he admires most in the game.

Double US Open champion Patrick Rafter was to have joined compatriots Hewitt, recovering Mark Philippoussis and Davis Cup doubles ace Wayne Arthurs for this week's event at the Kungligahalle . But Rafter will remain at home, skipping the two remaining events of the European indoor season, working on fitness for his chronically injured right shoulder as he works through a fitness niggle which was enough excuse to keep him away from the indoor action that he detests.

The 28-year-old is preparing for two huge season-wrapup dates next month - the Masters Cup in Sydney and Australia's Davis Cup final against France from November 30 in Melbourne. While he luxuriates in sunny spring weather at Noosa, where he spent many of his teenage years, Rafter is not forgetting about red-hot Hewitt, who like himself, has qualified for the eight-man Sydney field.

The 28-year-old Rafter can sympathise with Hewitt's state of mental and physical exhaustion after winning 17 matches on the trot, a streak snapped last weekend in the semi-finals of the Masters Series event in Stuttgart. That autumn run took him to a US Open title, a trophy at the AIG Open in Tokyo and included Australia's move into the Davis Cup semis over Sweden in September.

Despite aching for a rest, Hewitt and coach Darren Cahill were due to arrive in chilly Stockholm from Germany late today, officials said. The top seed will not be due on court until Wednesday, when he opens against modest Spaniard David Sanchez. "He's got to be tired, he's played a lot of tennis," said Rafter of his 20-year-old fellow US Open title holder. "He's had to deal with a lot of emotional ups - he's got to have a down sooner or later. I think that's a big reason why he lost to Tommy (Haas at Stuttgart), taking nothing away from Tommy and how well he's been playing, but I still think Lleyton is a better player."

Rafter, who has been something of big brother to Hewitt since before the talented youngster from Adelaide won his first title at his home event at age 16, couldn't say enough good things about the man who is certainly the future of the Aussie game. "He's definitely proved he's the Number one player over the last couple of months on the tour and I'd really love to see him take the (top) spot."

Going into Stockholm - an event won for five of the last six years by home players - Hewitt stands second in the Champions race points chase behind Gustavo Kuerten, playing as top seed this week in Basel, Switzerland. Andre Agassi is also included in the Sydney ranks along with Rafter and Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, who on Monday became the fourth and fifth men in the field.

Despite what could look to be an apparent lack of commitment to make the trip to play events which he does not like, Rafter is keen to be fully ready for the November 12 start in Sydney. "I'll do anything to play well there," he said. "I'll be doing a lot of training, a couple of easy weeks here and there to ease back into it, and get down to Sydney a week early and train really hard the week before. It was very successful last year and to me again it's coming down to another beauty."
Opening-day play at Stockholm was light, with just a handful of matches scheduled and qualifying rounds being completed.

Hewitt could dominate tour, Rafter says
By Pritha Sarkar

LONDON (Reuters) - Australian Pat Rafter believes his compatriot Lleyton Hewitt is capable of becoming a dominant force on the circuit for years to come.

"Lleyton's definitely proved he's the number one player over the last couple of months on the tour and I'd really love to see him take the (top) spot," twice U.S. Open champion Rafter said in a teleconference.

"Lleyton has so many attributes that you want as part of your game, that's the reason why he is close to being the number one player in the world right now.

"His tenacity, his day-in day-out dedication to the game, his speed and mental toughness is second to none right now."

Hewitt, who last month overwhelmed former world number one Pete Sampras in straight sets in the final of the U.S. Open, has had a glorious year on the tour.

The 20-year-old has won five tournaments and moved past Andre Agassi into second place in the ATP Champions Race after reaching the semifinals of last week's Stuttgart Masters Series.

"Lleyton is someone who, although a slight figure, has been very imposing for the last couple of years and he's got himself in position this year to become the number one player," Rafter added.

"You look at guys like (Boris) Becker and Sampras, they were very good at that age as well.

"It's always phenomenal to see someone so young to be that good and Lleyton does have those qualities."

WINNING STREAK

Hewitt chalked up a 17-match winning streak -- a 2001 record -- before his semifinal loss in Stuttgart to eventual winner Tommy Haas of Germany.

During his remarkable run, he also helped Australia beat Sweden to reach next month's Davis Cup final against France.

With the likes of Sampras, the world number one for a record six consecutive years, and Andre Agassi entering the twilight of their careers, Rafter thinks Hewitt is perfectly placed to take over the spotlight.

"I found the biggest pressure after winning my first Grand Slam was dealing with all the media attention," Rafter said.

"I thought Lleyton might struggle with that but he's really been dynamite."

Tired Hewitt to soldier on in Europe
by Neil Harvey- from Channel 7 site


A weary Lleyton Hewitt will extend his record as the hardest-worked player on the ATP Tour this week as the Champions Race takes its toll on contenders.

With so much at stake at the end of the season, Hewitt appeared tempted to withdraw from this week's Stockholm Open to recharge his batteries for the final push.

But he is pressing on and could close within four points of the 2001 points race leader Gustavo Kuerten if he wins his sixth title of the year at the 32-man $800,000 indoor event where he is top seed.

Kuerten is playing the Swiss Indoors in Basel, hoping desperately to arrest a run of four straight defeats which have allowed Hewitt to close dramatically in the battle to end the year as the No.1 player.

Meanwhile, Pete Sampras appears to have succumbed to tiredness and injury and given up for the year.

The end-of-season No.1 for a record six straight years from 1993-98, Sampras has withdrawn from the Swiss Indoors after complaining of a "dead arm" when he lost in the quarter-finals at Stuttgart last week and indicated he would return to the US.

Currently placed eighth in the race, he's not expected back for next week's Paris Indoors.

That means a run of 11 straight appearances - and five victories - in the elite eight-man season-end tournament will come to an end for the Masters Cup in Sydney next month.

There seems little doubt Hewitt, the 20-year-old US Open champion, could use a rest.