Hewitt at home against Arthurs
By LINDA PEARCE ADELAIDE
Wednesday 3 January 2001

Lleyton Hewitt last night started the new year the way he would so dearly have loved to finish the old. Victory in the deciding Davis Cup rubber proved beyond him, but a first-round match at the Australian hardcourt championship against fellow Australian Wayne Arthurs did not.

Facing posible sinus surgery as a result of the most recent diagnosis of his well-documented health problems, and playing for the first time since losing the reverse singles to Juan Carlos Ferrero in Barcelona on 10 December, Hewitt defeated his sometime cup teammate 6-4, 6-3. The win stretched his career record in his home tournament to 15-1, including titles in 1998 and 2000.

Hewitt, having started hitting only two days before accepting his tournament wildcard last Friday, is a little distance from the peak he wants to reach at the Australian Open in a fortnight, but the world No.7 has proved himself almost unbeatable in this town, his town, and Arthurs was the first to discover that it would take more than a continuing shortness of breath and an abbreviated end-of-year break to change that.

After a slow start that left him contemplating retirement, Arthurs has also enjoyed his best year yet, and is only three places below his career high of No.80. Yet the battle of serve versus return, of left against right, of tall versus shorter, went decisively Hewitt's way once he managed to convert his fifth break point in the seventh game of the first set.

"It's always hard playing the first match of the year, particularly for me, because this is where it all started for me, and I love that centre court out there," said Hewitt, who was more pleased with his return of serve than his movement after shifting from European clay.

Hewitt said he had consulted several doctors to try to trace the cause of the problems that first afflicted him before the United States Open, and confirmed the latest suggestion is of a sinus problem, "which would mean that I might have to have some kind of surgery, which at this point in time I'm going to keep playing until that's sort of the last resort.

"So I'm taking tablets and stuff at the moment to hopefully get it better, where I can still play at 100 per cent. I'd be out for probably three or four or five weeks and it's not the ideal time to have it now, that's for sure."

Hewitt has spent the past three weeks "kicking back" at home, spending Christmas with relatives, swimming in his backyard pool, going to the movies, the races, and seeing friends. He knew the Davis Cup would be a demanding and draining experience, and so it proved.

Officials back Hewitt
By LEO SCHLINK
01 January 01
FoxSports AUS-Herald Sun

TENNIS AUSTRALIA yesterday endorsed Lleyton Hewitt's decision to defend the
AAPT Championships title after the teenager had been criticised for rejecting
an opportunity to play the Hopman Cup.

TA president Geoff Pollard supported Hewitt's move to remain in Adelaide,
where he has won two of the past three titles, instead of travelling to Perth
for the Hopman Cup.

It is understood Hewitt and his family had been upset over criticism levelled
at him for opting to remain in South Australia to patronise a tournament
which has shaped his career.

Pollard unambiguously praised Hewitt's choice.

"The Australian circuit is built around providing players with a range of
choices leading into the Australian Open (January 15-28)," Pollard said.

"If we scheduled the tournaments one after another and then had the
Australian Open, it would be on the same level as the rest. By having three
tournaments this week and four next week, players have choices leading into
the Australian Open.

"We support Lleyton's decision to stay in Adelaide and defend his (ranking)
points and title. It gives him another week at home, which is positive with
all the travelling he does.

"We think he has made the right decision to play Adelaide and to support the
people who have supported his career."

Hewitt, the world No.7, could have collected a six-figure sum if he had
decided to replace injured Mark Philippoussis at the Hopman Cup. He is
playing for nothing in Adelaide.

END--http://www.foxsports.com.au/

Hewitt heads home
From our wire services
29 December 00 (FoxSports-AUS)

AUSTRALIAN No.1 Lleyton Hewitt today accepted a wildcard entry into the AAPT
Championships in his home town of Adelaide next week.

The Hewitt camp meanwhile remains confident he can overcome mystery health
problems as he continues his preparation for the Australian Open in Melbourne
next month.

Hewitt began suffering breathing difficulties earlier this year, but medical
tests have been unable to establish the cause of his shortness of breath.

His father, Glynn Hewitt, said the world No.7 had been resting since
Australia's Davis Cup final loss to Spain earlier this month and had returned
to a court only in the past two days.

"We're still trying to get to the bottom of the health thing but we feel it
is something he can work through," Hewitt said, adding that his son was keen
to return to the tournament which set his international career soaring when,
in 1998, as a 16-year-old ranked 550 in the world, he won the event.

The right-handed baseliner will return to Memorial Drive in a bid to clinch
his third Adelaide crown and defend his title when the tournament begins on
New Year's Day.

"He always likes to play the tournament," Hewitt said.

"I think he always intended, if possible, to defend his title.

"It was just a matter of what his best preparation for the Australian Open
was going to be, bearing in mind the health thing that he's had as well. It
is a bit of a juggling act."

Tournament director Colin Stubs said Hewitt should be applauded for agreeing
to play despite an abbreviated preparation.

"I'm delighted," Stubs said.

"He's decided to play in Adelaide and support the event which, I believe,
should be appreciated by the Adelaide fans.

"I get the feeling that he has been wanting all along to play here. I think
he likes playing in Adelaide and I think he feels some sense of obligation to
the event because this is where it did all start for him."

Hewitt's decision to play in Adelaide means he cannot replace injured Mark
Philippoussis in the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth.

Instead, Richard Fromberg will team with Nicole Pratt for that
tournament.Hewitt also intends to play the adidas International in Sydney
ahead of the Australian Open, which runs from January 15-28.

END--http://www.foxsports.com.au/


Hewitt loses mentor
By LEO SCHLINK
26dec00

LLEYTON Hewitt, the world No. 7, will temporarily interrupt his highly successful partnership with coach Darren Cahill next season.

Cahill, 35, will stand down from the international circuit in February to be with his wife Victoria for the birth of their first child.
Cahill will resume in April to help Hewitt prepare for the European claycourt season, allowing fellow South Australian Peter Smith to briefly reunite with his protege.

An obvious target for every unemployed coach in the world, Hewitt would be one of the most sought-after commodities in the game if he became available.

But his loyalty to Cahill and those coaches who helped shape his frenetic game is such that there is no opening - other than for Smith.

The veteran South Australian coach who, along with Kevin Swanson, Roger Tyzzer and Cahill, helped put the polish on Hewitt, will travel with the teenager to the United States in February. Cahill confirmed Smith, who helped John Fitzgerald develop from a country hopeful to world-class performer, would travel with Hewitt to San Jose, Scottsdale and Indian Wells.

"Peter will be looking after Lleyton," said Cahill, who will continue to work with Hewitt after the arrival of the baby.

"Lleyton's comfortable with Peter and that's important because it's a busy part of the season in the lead up to Key Biscayne (the Ericsson Open)."

Cahill has worked full-time with Hewitt for two years,

having first hit with the 19-year-old seven years ago.

The pair has developed a wonderful rapport over the past two years, with unobtrusive Cahill quietly directing Hewitt away from the trouble spots which threaten all young players on the tour.

Hewitt credits fellow US Open semi-finalist Cahill for simplifying the transition from wide-eyed newcomer to one of the sport's established stars.

Hewitt will decide this week whether he will defend his AAPT Championships singles title in Adelaide next week.

Fitzy loves Lleyton
From AAP (news.com.au)
25dec00

ANYONE who did not like Lleyton Hewitt before Australia lost to Spain in the
Davis Cup final, should admire him now, new Cup captain John Fitzgerald said.

He said Hewitt's fist-pumping, chest-thumping antics must no longer
overshadow his finest attribute: courage.

Fighting a respiratory disease and hostile Spanish crowd, Hewitt beat Albert
Costa in five sets before going down to Juan Carlos Ferrero in two gutsy
appearances in Barcelona.

Like former American extrovert Jimmy Connors, Hewitt has an army of fans as
well as detractors, but Fitzgerald says the 19-year-old deserves a hero's
reception this summer.

Hewitt will defend his adidas International title in Sydney from January 7
before heading to Melbourne to chase the first major of his career at the
Australian Open.

"If you're not a fan of Lleyton Hewitt now there's something wrong with you,"
Fitzgerald said.

"What he went through, what he did for his team and country in Barcelona, was
. . . you can't say it was unprecedented but it was good as anything I've
seen in 20 years of Davis Cup."

Two days before the Cup final, with the respiratory complaint a real concern,
Newcombe ordered Hewitt to admit when he started "hurting" against Costa.

"About halfway through the third set Lleyton sat down at the change of ends
and said `I'm really hurting' in a shaky voice," Newcombe said.

"I looked at him and his whole body was quivering and I thought `My God, I'm
going to have to give mouth to mouth to the poor guy.'

"He had a nine-count on him at that stage, halfway through the third set, but
he got up off the floor and said, `I'm not going down, I am not going down.'

"He fought his guts out."

Newcombe still has no idea how Hewitt served out the match at 5-4 in the
fifth when spectators yelled non-stop at full voice before, during and after
points.

Hewitt was so stunned by the din that he fell behind 0-40 before winning the
next six points for an epic victory.

Hewitt's excitement at gradually wearing Costa down had Newcombe bracing
himself at each change of ends.

"When he comes around and I can see that he's excited and he's coming toward
me I think `oh no, he wants a high five,'" Newcombe said.

"I've had high fives from Pat (Rafter) when he's excited, and Pat's about
twice as big as Lleyton, but after a high five from Lleyton you're hand is
dead for five minutes.

"There is so much energy there."

Australia starts its Cup campaign against Ecuador in Perth in February before
likely tough away matches against Brazil and Russia.

END--http://sport.news.com.au/