L HEWITT/A
DiPasquale 6-3, 6-2 May 15 2000
An Interview With: LLEYTON HEWITT
ATP: Questions, please.
Q. Lleyton, was there some sense of relief to get through a match like that
because it was a bit scrappy, a lot of breaks of serve?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I thought it was pretty good tennis though. That is the
best he has every played against me. I played him a lot in juniors; played him
once in the seniors and won last year in Rome. Forehand is big out there. Such
tough conditions out there. The balls are so heavy and the clay is so slow out
there and especially today with the moisture in the air, it's one of the slowest
places I have ever played tennis in. So yeah, I am just happy to get through.
Q. Is it mainly because of the weather that the conditions are like that or were
they like that when you were practicing in the sunshine?
LLEYTON HEWITT: A lot has got to do with the weather. The German clay is a
definite slower clay than the French Open clay. That has always been the case, I
think, but here in Hamburg you get that moisture hanging over the court as well.
It was pretty slow when I went out there to warm up this morning.
Q. When you had the break after the Davis Cup did you do much training and what
did you do?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not a lot. I put the rackets down and just rested up
basically. Last year was such a long year with the Olympics and obviously making
it through the Davis Cup final; then starting back in Adelaide I had felt like I
hadn't had a break so just put the rackets down for a couple of weeks and went
out to the movies, stuff like that. It's good to be back on the Tour right now.
Q. Do you feel that Davis Cup helped you a lot for the clay court season?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No doubt it's helped me to be able to reflect on those matches
and instill that confidence on clay that I beat Gustavo Kuerten. I didn't lose a
set in three days of tough -- I don't think the pressure gets any tougher when
playing Davis Cup tennis; let alone playing in Brazil against the best player in
the world. Not dropping a set for those nine sets in a row is a pretty good
achievement. I can definitely reflect on that and draw strength from that going
into the French Open.
Q. Do you feel rejuvenated by the break that you have had? Do you feel fresher?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it is always hard coming off a break the first week and
normally I do pretty well, but coming onto clay it's always tough if you haven't
put out a lot of hours I think. That is why this preparation - I played Rome,
Hamburg, two big tournaments on the calendar; then I go to Dusseldorf which I am
guaranteed a lot of matches and good matches against very good clay court
players, going into the French so hopefully that is going to hold me in better
form going in. Clay is one of those surfaces which it's quite hard to sort of
get in a rhythm, sliding and stuff. So last week, even though I did lose, then I
got to play a couple of good claycourters and that gives me a little bit more
confidence.
Q. So you are reasonably happy at this stage of the clay court season?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I feel like I am getting better and better. Today I felt
like for the conditions, I hit the ball great. There is still a few areas of my
game that I need to work on, but I have still got a couple of weeks before
really start settling in in Paris.
Q. Will you be playing with Pat next week in Dusseldorf?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, we are playing together.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
A.
CORRETJA/L. Hewitt 7-6(2), 6-4 May 11 2001
An Interview With: LLEYTON HEWITT
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton, please.
Q. Well, Lleyton, first of all, thanks for coming in. I know it was only three
games, but there was a hell of a lot of effort and energy and everything else
that went into it.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's always hard coming off a rain delay, especially when
you're a set and a break down. You can't be too slow out of the blocks. And
yesterday, I, you know, I felt like I really got behind the eight ball the first
couple of games of each set. I just, you know, struggled early and didn't get my
rhythm going until late in the first set. That's when, you know, I fought back
to get in that first set, and didn't play a great tiebreaker. That was a first
set gone. And today I had to come out and be, you know, right on my toes right
from the start.
Q. A lot of people will be expecting a lot of things from you in the next couple
of months. What do you expect of yourself?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. You know, it's hard to say. I'm, you know,
learning more about particularly playing on clay, you know. Obviously playing in
Brazil gave me a lot of confidence, but to be able to play like that match in
and match out in the big tournaments, you know, that's still another ball game.
So I'm going to have to, you know, raise my level of, you know, competing -
especially over at the French Open, over seven matches if you're going to win
the title. So I definitely give myself a chance there.
Q. You're ready to win a Grand Slam now, do you think?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I believe in myself, and I believe if I play the way that I did
down in Brazil, then I've got a hell of a chance.
Q. The clay in Brazil was different or similar to this one?
LLEYTON HEWITT: A little bit different.
Q. You mean faster or...?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know about faster. It was different to move on. It was
probably, you know, this one is a bit more slippery than the other, the one in
Brazil. It wasn't, you know, I'm not sure if that was more of a muddy sort of
surface, but, you know, obviously this one probably got a little bit more like
that today after the rain yesterday.
Q. You realize you are the only one who beat Kuerten on clay in the last year.
LLEYTON HEWITT: (Nodding.) It's good.
Q. What was your problem when you had the trainer yesterday?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was just getting strange, I was getting a sharp pain in
the back of my knee, sort of down a little bit towards the calf area. It was
just shooting straight down my calf. So, you know, I was getting a little bit
worried about it. It was just getting worse and worse. I got halfway through the
first set, and it got worse and worse as it was going on. At first I thought it
was a pinched nerve or something, might just go back and be fine after a couple
of games, and kept going on. That's why I just called the trainer, and it was
nice that the rain came down at that time as well.
Q. No problem with it today?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's still a bit sore. It wasn't 100 percent, but they're not
really sure what it is. They couldn't really tell. But it was pretty sore.
Q. Have you been doing a lot of running in preparation?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not a lot, no. I put the racquets down and really did nothing
for, you know, a good couple of weeks after Brazil. But it's been such a long
start to the year, I hadn't had any time off. We played two Davis Cup matches,
we prepared for those Davis Cup matches, I played two Masters Series, a Grand
Slam, you know, it was pretty full on. Especially after the end of last year as
well, it felt like I hadn't had a good break for a long time. So, you know, I
didn't do a hell of a lot. So this week, you know, to have beaten Haas is a
pretty good win in the second round in straight sets, you know, still to go down
to Alex in a tight match where he's definitely one of the best clay court
players in the world. So, you know, this week's, I think, been a good start for
my clay court preparation.
Q. Do you sort of get your level of fitness back pretty quickly, or does it take
you a while?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really, sort of comes pretty quickly.
Q. You said going in to the match that you did see it as a tremendous benefit to
actually play Alex on clay, who is one of the top players on this surface. You
said you could maybe benefit and learn from it. You found that, did you,
hopefully?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I haven't had enough time to reflect fully on it. But for
sure, yeah, he plays a different style of game to the Tommy Haases and even Guga.
You know, Guga goes for his shots a lot more than Alex does. So, you know, it's
nice to know that there are still areas of my game that I've got to work on to
play a guy like that. But I feel like I can adjust my game. I think I played a
little bit better out there the last three games today, and I had game points in
every game. Could have very easily just about snuck out of that second set. I
feel like if I go out there and work on a couple of things in my game, then
coming into the French Open, I feel confident playing, you know, a player who
plays well there.
Q. You won a fair number of the longest rallies, too. There were some pretty
long ones out there.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I felt like -- it was strange. I fought my butt off to get
back in the first set, had 5-all yesterday, break point, missed a pretty easy
second serve really, didn't even give myself a chance. I felt like I was
starting to get a little momentum going coming back from 5-3. But, you know,
obviously that's disappointing. Today I didn't take the big points when I needed
them. You know, that's something that, you know, some days you take them all,
some days you don't take any. Hopefully when I get to the French Open I'll take
everything.
Q. How old were you when you first saw a red clay court or actually first played
on a red clay court?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Would have been 13, yeah.
Q. Where was that?
LLEYTON HEWITT: On a junior team, travelled like to the Netherlands, Belgium and
Germany, I think.
Q. Was fairly competitive right through the match, today especially. It seemed
at the end it was a pretty firm handshake. I mean, that's the first time you
played since Lisbon when all things were said by Alex. Everything seemed fine at
the end.
LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, I haven't said anything. You know, I started nothing.
So, you know, he doesn't really fuss me at all. So, you know, I went out there
and I just played -- you know, it's another match for me, it's another clay
court preparation, and I'm playing one of the best players on clay. That's the
way I looked at the match. He was too good on the day.
Q. It seemed there was a long time until there was a "Come on!" Is
that just the way it goes sometimes, or you made a conscious effort --?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It doesn't help when you're 3-love down in about five minutes.
Q. You start to pump yourself when you play a good shot, you sometimes get
yourself --?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, you know, I feel like I do it at the right times. You know,
I got off to a shocking start. Wasn't much to get pumped about. Maybe at times I
should have cracked my racquet or something, but I don't know about getting too
excited about the way I was playing early yesterday.
Q. What is a key point for you to improve on to be able to compete for the title
in Roland Garros, if you had one thing to work on?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Probably start aggressive a little bit more.
Q. Do you also go on the theory that the more time you can get on a clay court,
the better it's going to be for you when you switch back to grass?
LLEYTON HEWITT: What do you mean?
Q. Well, a lot of great champions at Wimbledon have always said over the years
that a lot of the preparatory work they do on the clay helps them when they get
on the grass because despite what people say, it's not just serve and volley, it
is as much your return.
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. I don't know, you know, I bombed out last year
in the Round of 16, had not a bad clay court season last year, for, you know,
one of my first real serious goes on clay. And, you know, I came straight into
Queen's seeing the ball like a football there. So it's hard to say. But I felt,
you know, I wasn't hitting the ball that well at the French Open last year, and
I still made the Round of 16s and still had chances, you know, to beat Costa in
that match in the Round of 16s. Then came out, you know, strangely enough and
played great the next week. So it was a little bit surprising last year. I'm not
really sure how my game will, you know, suit up, whether if you do have a long
clay court season, you know, make the weekend there, and back it up on Tuesday
at Queen's or Wednesday at Queen's is going to be pretty tough.
Q. Did you view Wimbledon as one of the great disappointments of the year?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Last year?
Q. Yeah?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's definitely up there. I didn't lose too many first rounds.
Probably Wimbledon and the Olympics.
Q. Where do you rate your chances at the French? For us, we say that Kuerten and
Ferrero are the strong men on clay. Where do you put yourself?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say really. Kuerten definitely is the favorite, I
think. You know, the way that he plays in big matches and, you know, he
obviously plays well at Roland Garros as well. But Ferrero, you know, he's
playing fantastic. You know, to win Barcelona as he did and, you know, to beat
Rios and those guys so comfortably the last few days, he's -- obviously he's
playing well. I'd rank those two probably the highest as well. You can never
take Andre out of it either. I don't think you want to be in his path.
Q. And yourself?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, you know, I think there's sort of a handful of guys. To
say Guga and Andre, they've probably -- they've been there before. Ferrero, he
made a semifinal last year and had chances. There's still the Kafelnikovs, these
guys, even Corretja and Moya who have been in Grand Slam finals and they know
what it's all about. You know, Ferrero and I are relatively new to trying to
make it to that last Sunday of a Grand Slam.
Q. Have you picked up anything yet from your brief doubles experiences with
Andre?
LLEYTON HEWITT: How to come back from 5-love down in the third. Never done that
before. To do it in doubles is pretty good.
Q. How much had been said between you at that stage, or nothing? Did you just
get on with it or what?
LLEYTON HEWITT: We still believed we could win. For me to have a guy, you know
-- you know, normally in doubles, with most players you wouldn't think that you
could win from 5-love down, got to break maybe two or three times. When you got
Andre Agassi on the other side of the court with you, you know, it helps. We
knew we were going to make a lot of returns, and we just had to hold serve. In
the end, you know, he was really pumped up to win it. It was nice to get out
May 9, 2001
TENNIS MASTERS SERIES
Rome, Italy
L. HEWITT/T. Haas 7-5, 6-3
An Interview With: LLEYTON HEWITT
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Quite content with that performance today, Lleyton?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was good. Still feel like I could raise my game, you
know, a bit more. It's always tough after having a few weeks off as well to come
out and play great tennis straightaway, particularly on a surface like clay. You
know, I think it takes a while just to, you know, get the -- get the miles on
the legs and, you know, really grind it out out there.
But today was a lot better than yesterday, that's for sure.
Q. If you could give us an update on your general health, Lleyton, we know you
had some tests and everything and were waiting for the results. You took a bit
of a break. What's the situation now?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's hard to say. No one still has been able to pinpoint
what it actually is. People have guessed that it could be like an allergy
reaction causing, you know -- just depending on the places that I'm playing in,
you know. And Rome's a pretty bad place for allergies, I've heard over the last
few days.
So, you know, I'm still struggling with it a little bit. I have to try to keep
playing through it as much as possible. Obviously, the last few weeks has
helped, having off. But, you know, there's been times where in Brazil I didn't
really find it a problem at all. I haven't been able to sort of mark it down to
one particular thing, whether it was next to the ocean or, you know, I can't
pinpoint what it actually was that, you know, didn't make it so bad in that
time.
Q. There was a theory that it might possibly be related to long-haul air travel.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really, no. It -- no one's said that at all.
But, you know, as I said, it could be a lot of things mixed together, you know.
The people I've seen really haven't been able to pinpoint it down to one
particular thing.
Q. Is this something now you've just got to come to terms with and live with, or
is it something you're still trying to look at, perhaps keeping a check to see
if you get the same reaction when you go back to places where it happened the
last time you were there?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's definitely something that I'm going to try and play through
as much as possible, especially this time of year, with two Grand Slams, you
know, looming very closely now. You know, I've only got a few weeks to the
French Open and Wimbledon comes straight after that. So it's not the time of the
year to be worrying about it too much.
But obviously, you know, when I do get some weeks off and stuff, you know, if it
start -- it's always going to be in the back of my mind if I start feeling a lot
better when I go back to Australia or something, I've got to try to pinpoint the
reasons why that is, somehow.
But it's gonna be -- you know, it's gonna take a while, I think.
Q. You did mention a lot of allergies in Rome, and of course you're going to be
playing Alex Corretja next. There's been a few allergies between you in the past
in your matches; bad things have been said. That didn't seem to bother you in
the past, did it? Does it bother you now as well?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. I'm going in, you know, I've said nothing bad about
Alex at all the whole time. You know, obviously he's made comments, you know, in
the past, and, you know, actually it's really something that I really couldn't
care less about. I go out there, I play my tennis, and I, you know, I think I've
behaved on the court, you know, fine in those times where, you know, I think
he's gone over the top in what he's said. But, you know, that doesn't fuss me at
all.
I'm going out there tomorrow, you know, just the same as if I'm playing, you
know, Pat Rafter. It really doesn't matter. You know, I'm going out there, I've
had to do it in the past and, you know, this is -- he's a great player on clay.
It's a good lead-up for me to play such a good player and a guy who's made the
French Open final a couple weeks before going into the French Open.
Q. Now that you're one of the few top seeds left in the tournament, how do you
feel about your chances? Do you feel they've improved?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Pardon?
Q. Do you see your chances as improved, now that you're one of the few top seeds
left in the tournament?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. You look at my section of the draw, all my seeds are
still there. I've got Alex tomorrow, who's going to be no pushover, that's for
sure. Then if I get past that, I've got Gustavo, who's, you know, a fantastic
player. No doubt he's the best player on clay in the world.
It doesn't really open up my section of the draw too much.
Q. Two questions. Why in Rome would this be more problems and dangerous for the
allergic theme?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, the trainers told me that there's a lot of allergies with
pollen and stuff this time of the year, and also there's a bit of pollution as
well. So it's sort of a mixture of both of them.
Q. I was just thinking about Wimbledon. The reason that -- I never won Wimbledon
because I began to sneeze in the first round all the time. So Rome, Rome is not
so bad. (Laughter.)
LLEYTON HEWITT: No?
Q. Second question is more technical. You have been the only one in the last
year to beat Guga Kuerten on clay. Why do you think that happened, and do you
think it should happen again, and how difficult is it going to be?
LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, that was an extremely tough match. We played in
extremely tough conditions in Brazil, and, you know, there's no doubt that
that's the best match of my life so far. You know, the way that I stayed
mentally tough throughout that tie. And to be able to come out and play three
great days of tennis like that and on the last day beat the guy, you know, who's
easily, in my opinion, the best guy on clay the last couple of years, that's for
sure, and to do it in straight sets in his hometown is a fantastic effort.
But to be able to, you know, do it all the time, that's still going to be
another question. He plays fantastic week in and week out. For me, I'm still
learning a lot of things about playing on clay. I'm getting better and better
each time I play on clay. But to be able to do it and play the level that I did
against him, week in and week out, is still going to take a little bit extra I
think.
Q. May I ask if the crowd was milder in Florianopolis or in Barcelona? And which
sort of clay did you have in Florianopolis? Can you compare it to our clay here
and in Paris.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's hard to say. The clay there was, you know, it was
quite soft the first few days that we got there. It was breaking up a lot, but
it did get a lot harder as the week came to, you know, the time on Friday,
Saturday, Sunday when we had to play.
It quickened up. You know, the weather that we had the first few days before the
tie started was, you know, a little bit of a drizzle and stuff, so it was quite
heavy at the start. When the sun came out, it was quite quick, quickened up a
lot faster than I thought it would be.
Totally different than the Barcelona clay, because that was indoors as well, so
it was a totally different kind of clay. I'd definitely say Barcelona was
quicker than Brazil.
The crowd in Brazil, they're out partying, it's like a carnival scene. They're
loud, no doubt about that. But, you know, I think the Barcelona crowd was much
more, you know, disturbing during points and, you know, they went over the top a
bit more. Brazil really, you know, they enjoyed their tennis and they liked it I
think, even though, you know, the result they would have liked to change.
Q. What was the thinking behind the partnership with Andre here? Was that your
idea, his, or how did that come about?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, was just a little bit of mine, a little bit of Darren's.
You know, we wanted to play a bit of doubles -- I wanted to play a bit of
doubles anyway, just to get some matches on the clay and that, and I'm not
playing doubles in Hamburg or the French. So I wanted to just get some matches
in case I maybe bombed out early here in the singles.
You know, Darren and Brad are good mates and I practice all the time with Andre.
You know, we just, you know, asked Darren to ring Brad and asked if Andre would
like to have a game, and he said yes. We'll see what happens.
Q. Looking forward to it?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, to be out there on the court, he's given me a lot of time
in practice. I practice with him nearly every tournament now. He's a great guy
just to be around because he's got so much class. So, yeah, I'm gonna learn a
lot.
Q. What do you know about the state of Pat's health? Is he going to be all right
for the French and Wimbledon?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I spoke to him - might have been last week. You know, he's
just taking it easy and enjoying a bit of time off I think. Yeah, he should be
fine, I think. You know, I definitely rate him up there as, you know, definitely
one of the main favorites of Wimbledon, that's for sure.
Obviously, only having one week's preparation in Dusseldorf and the World Team
Cup, it's going to be tough for him to try and do extremely well at the French.
But, you know, he's capable of it. I think we saw that before he started hurting
in Brazil that, you know, I think that he had a good chance of maybe winning in
straight sets against Guga. So he can match it against the best guys on clay,
but I definitely have him up there in the top one or two, maybe three for
Wimbledon.
Q. Do you know if he's going to play Queen's or Halle?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I have no idea.
Q. What happened to the ponytail? Long story, is it?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really. Just went into the hairdresser's and wasn't
planning on doing it, then started -- she -- the hairdresser asked, maybe can I
do what I want. I said, "Yeah, why not?" That's how it happened
basically.
Q. How many years has it been since you've had it like that?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I had it sort of like this, I don't know, at least three
years ago I think. But when I first won Adelaide, I had it a little bit longer,
then I sort of grew into the ponytail and stuck with that.
Q. A hairdresser back home?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, in Belgium. I don't know if they spoke English well.
(Laughter.)
JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL/L.
Hewitt 7-5, 6-4
An Interview With: LLEYTON HEWITT
(The Ericsson Open Site; 03/30/2001)
THE MODERATOR: First question, please.
Q. That point at 5-4, 30-15 when he hit the forehand. That was obviously
pretty crucial in the end result.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, in some ways you can look at it as being an extremely
unlucky. Probably that shot is going to happen one in a million.
After that, whether it was just that shot or, you know getting back to 30-All
then having breakpoint there, he definitely raised his game. You got to hand
it to him because he was a bit scratchy there. I didn't take myopportunity.
I could have maybe broken twice in that set and won it 6-3. I had a lot of
chance; had a lot of deuce points the game before. Didn't take it. In the
second set one of those matches I didn't take my opportunities. I felt like I
had breakpoints every second service game of his. I just couldn't get the big
points out there today. There is always next time.
Q. That overhead was a real winner mid-court as I recall. Have you ever had
anyone in a big match hit an outright winner off a straightforward overhead
like that?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know if it was that straightforward. It was very
blustery out there.
Obviously, you know, as I said, one in a million shot. I've definitely had
guys who hit better shots than that. But that is the game of tennis. He
guessed one way and just right at that time he was
there and he just had a swing and it went bulleting past me. Not much I can
do about it.
Q. When you say guys have had better shots off of overheads --
LLEYTON HEWITT: Off of other shots, I suppose, but it is, I don't know, it is
a great shot. But there is a little luck involved.
Q. You have been pleased with your form here looking forward to next week?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I haven't had time to reflect on it, but it has been a
good week. To backup another semifinal, obviously right at the moment I am a
bit disappointed, just because I felt like this was a big opportunity for me.
I don't think I played my best tennis out there tonight.
Definitely going have to play a lot better if we are going to get over Brazil
next week.
Q. You seem to be playing better every week that you play. Since you had a
good week and now you are going into Brazil to play Davis Cup and what is
your expectation of going into Brazil? Have you ever been there?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No never been to South America. I am looking forward to it.
It is going to be a challenge and our team likes challenges and hard
challenges and this is definitely going to be one of the hardest that we have
had to deal with. We are playing the best clay court player in the world in
his home town. It is going to be tough. So I am expecting, you know, every
bit as hard as a Davis Cup final that is for sure.
Q. How much harder do you think a crowd can be than Barcelona?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Don't know. Soon find out.
Q. He is developing a bit of a reputation as someone when he is matchpoint
down, breakpoint down seems to be able to pull out the big shots. When you
are playing a guy like that you are aware of that reputation, does that prey
on your mind at all?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. No. Of course I knew that he is probably lucky to
get where he had got -- there is probably a couple of crucial matches, I
think, for sure against Andrew Ilie in the first round, I think it was --
Andrew got ripped off on a line call as well which -- so yeah, he is
probably lucky to be where he has got, but he is that kind of player, very
flashy, he will come up with a big shot, a big single forehand shot where you
are not expecting that because he uses double off both sides. But that is his
game and sooner or later he is going to win some close matches but then he is
probably going to lose some as well.
Q. Is his game even tougher under lights, his game?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I wouldn't say so. Very heavy out there tonight. The
balls are very heavy.
Q. You have been getting to the net a lot more lately, haven't you?
LLEYTON HEWITT: A little bit now and then. It is doing -- it's area of my
game that I have got to work on that is for sure.
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