2001 TENNIS MASTERS SERIES STUTTGART
October 20, 2001
T. HAAS/L. Hewitt 3-6, 6-4, 7-5

An interview with: LLEYTON HEWITT

MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton. 

Q. Took a pretty special performance to bring the run to an end, didn't it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, he played extremely well. I knew going into the match that he's capable of doing that. You know, he's a guy who definitely should be in the Top 10, that's for sure, in my opinion. Every time I've played him, he's played extremely well. We've always had very tough matches. I didn't take it lightly going into the match. I felt like I played pretty well. You know, I felt a little bit tired towards the end of the second, start of the third. Started getting going a little bit. I really struggled with my first serve today. That was probably the telling thing. He was holding serve a lot easier than I was.

Q. The crowd, what role did it play concerning the result of the match?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not a lot. You know, it was that tight. In that situation, it's one or two points. It really doesn't have much to do with the crowd. Who knows, at 5-All, I had Love-15. If I had a second serve, if I put a bit of pressure on him then, he may have followed. I had some chances. Even in the second set when I fought back to get on serve, then 15-30 there, I didn't take advantage of it. You know, it was that close that the crowd, you know, it was loud and for him, but I've played in that environment, a lot worse than that before.

Q. Did you like the atmosphere?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's good. It's always good to have a lot of people there supporting. Even if it's going against you, I think it's a better atmosphere than at the start of the week, no one in the crowd. Very hard to get up for those matches.

Q. Can you trace anything from today back to the fact that you finished that match at 1:00 in the morning, play later that day? Does that toll even on someone as fit as you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It definitely hasn't helped. You know, you look at the guys I've played - play pretty similar to myself, as well. That's been even tougher, I think. I haven't had guys serve-volleying where I get cheap, shorter points, a bit more rest, not as long of matches. The guys I've played, I really had to grind. It's been a tough week. I haven't really had a proper break either since - I don't know - after Wimbledon. You know, it's just been pretty mentally tough as well. To keep coming up week after week for the last month or so, it takes its toll.

Q. At the moment, you're still planning Stockholm next week, then Paris?

LLEYTON HEWITT: At the moment, yeah.

Q. Carrying on?

LLEYTON HEWITT: At the moment, yeah.

Q. Does that suggest you might not play next week?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I've got to talk to my coach, see what happens. Everything so far has been I'm going to play. 

Q. Looking back, it's been a tremendous run, the best this year by any player, that must give you some degree of satisfaction. 

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's been great. 

Q. Nothing beats winning, does it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. I wouldn't change anything. This is a Masters Series. I won a Slam a couple weeks ago. I know which one I'd rather have. As I said coming into the tournament, I wasn't expecting a hell of a lot. I wasn't going to be overly disappointed if I did lose. This week is going to hold me in good stead for the Masters and the Davis Cup. It's my first indoor tournament this year, apart from San Jose at the start of the year. I wasn't hitting the ball that well at the start of the week, but I definitely got better and better. That's what I need to be doing. In about three or four weeks' time, I need to be hitting it as well as I can.

Q. You had a chance of becoming No. 1 by winning this tournament. Big disappointment?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Doesn't worry me at all. Coming into the tournament I had one goal in mind, and that was to work my game as well as I can to give myself a chance of winning the Davis Cup at the end of the year. Nothing's changed. If I finish No. 1, so be it. But coming into the tournament, Guga was so far ahead, it didn't enter my mind. I haven't really thought about it the whole week as it's gone. For me, winning a Grand Slam, winning the Davis Cup in one year is a pretty good effort.

Q. You also just qualified for Sydney in your home country. Is this with the Davis Cup a special event?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Sydney, yeah, that will be special for sure. Obviously the crowd and that is probably going to get more into the Davis Cup than Sydney, just because you're playing for your country instead of individual. Looks like Pat is going to get in, I think. If Pat and I are both in there, it's going to be a great time for Australian tennis, that's for sure.

Q. But the Masters Cup in Sydney?

LLEYTON HEWITT: That's what I just spoke about.

Q. Working your game, what is it that you think you have to work on right now most?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, you know, after the Davis Cup I had a week off. After Tokyo, I had a week off. It's hard to be playing your best tennis week in and week out. In Tokyo, I didn't hit the ball great but I got through. Then coming here, I wasn't expecting to hit the ball well. I hadn't hit a lot of balls the week leading into this tournament. Two days before I started hitting balls. I wasn't expecting a lot. You set out your priorities. After the US Open, I set out for the rest of the year that Davis Cup is the big one for me. That's why I had to try and keep it going. I couldn't lose focus after I won the US because I had a tie the next week. Nothing has really changed. If I lose first round the next three weeks, it doesn't really worry me. 

Q. Pete has said he's not going to play any more this year, pulled out of Basel and Paris. 

LLEYTON HEWITT: Pete Sampras? 

Q. Yes. Unless everyone else loses every match they play between now and then. You have a ten-year age gap. Can you appreciate how a guy can get really tired in this particular environment?

LLEYTON HEWITT: For sure. For sure. I've only had a little bit at the top, as well, whereas -- I haven't even made it to the top. I've been in the Top 5 or so for the last couple years. For him to have that pressure and expectation, everyone wants a piece of him for the last 12 years or whatever, it's got to be draining on you sooner or later. He's had an unbelievable effort up to this year to win a Grand Slam every year. It's incredible. I don't even know if I'll be playing when I'm his age. 

Q. How do you rate Haas' chances in the final?

LLEYTON HEWITT: He has a good chance. If he plays like that, he's going to be very hard to beat.

Q. Any difference in his game compared to the previous ones?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Tommy is a patchy player. He plays some unbelievable tennis, then he plays a few loose points to lose serve out of nowhere. That's him. He's very flashy. He's a shot-maker. He's one of the best shot-makers around. The thing with Tommy, if he can put it together for the whole match, he's going to be hard to beat every time. That's what's holding him back, I'd say. Over the last couple years, he hasn't been able to put it together in that many matches over a tournament. This week he's played pretty well. He scraped through a couple of matches. 

TENNIS MASTERS SERIES - STUTTGART
L. HEWITT/W. Ferreira 6-7, 6-3, 6-2
An interview with: LLEYTON HEWITT
October 19, 2001


MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton.

Q. You said earlier this week that if you lost early this week, it wouldn't
be so much of a problem. Does this state of mind make you a bit more relaxed?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Doesn't feel relaxed out there (smiling). You know, I've had
to fight off three bloody tough matches out there. I've had to come back from
a set down in all three matches.

Who knows mentally whether it helps or not. You know, I feel like I'm getting
better and better with each match I'm playing, that's for sure. This is the
first indoor tournament I've played, as well.

Q. As you're getting closer to an eventual win, does it make you more eager
to win it than you were?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. It's still the same position. You know, if I go
out there and lose tomorrow, it's not the end of the world, that's for sure.
You know, I'm going out there to, you know, enjoy the way I'm playing, work
on areas of my game that's going to help me in November.

Q. Do you care if you take over the lead in the Champions Race?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really. It's in the back of my mind. As I said, I
came here to prepare myself, to give myself the best opportunity of doing
well in the Masters and the Davis Cup. That hasn't changed at all.

Q. How are you feeling physically?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not bad. You know, a little bit tired. I mean, anyone would
be. I've had to do a lot of grinding out there the last three days. I've
played players who don't tend to have long points out there, as well.
Yesterday took a bit out of me. Today's probably taken a bit out of me, as
well. See how I pull up tomorrow morning.

Q. Can we leap forward and talk about the Davis Cup. Was it a team decision
to go with grass at Melbourne Park?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, pretty much. I think it's a better choice for the team,
that's for sure. We probably had a few options up our sleeve. Rebound Ace, I
play extremely well on. Pat made the semis of the Australian Open. We could
even put in an American hard court at Melbourne Park, as well. We had some
options up our sleeve.

In the end, we went with what we felt was going to give us a bigger edge.

Q. And the fact that you won a couple of grass court titles, three actually.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Three over the last couple years.

Q. That obviously helped you feel confident with that decision.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. You've got to try to forget about yourself a little bit
when you're having the meeting, as well. We have a guy who has made the final
two years in a row at Wimbledon, the biggest grass court event in the world.
I think everyone agrees that he could have won it both years. I'd like to
have him on my side, that's for sure.

Q. The fact that the French did very well on Rebound Ace, was that a factor?
LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it was in the back of my mind, our mind. Their
results on Rebound Ace have been a lot better than their results on grass as
a team. I think you've just got to sum it all up where we thought we were
going to get the most advantage. Who knows if that's going to be right or
not. Only the three days will tell.

Before that, I think grass was the right choice.

Q. Are you expecting the crowd to be in Melbourne the local equivalent of
what you faced in Barcelona and Nice?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not even close.

Q. Which way?
LLEYTON HEWITT: They're going to be -- they're a fair crowd. All Australian
crowds, if you were in Sydney, you would have seen. The crowd in Sydney was
great. They clapped the good shots for Sweden. They're obviously loud for us,
but that's the way it should be.

Q. Can you see a difference in that crowd than the crowd we see at The Open?
LLEYTON HEWITT: The Australian Open?

Q. Yes.
LLEYTON HEWITT: For?

Q. For the Davis Cup.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. They're probably going to be more loud for
Australia. You come to watch two players play at the Australian Open. It's
more of an individual event. This is playing for your country. There's a lot
more feeling, I think, for the fans to come and show their support and their
side more in the Davis Cup than in a Grand Slam.

END--FastScripts by ASAP Sports...

TENNIS MASTERS SERIES--STUTTGART 2nd round
L. HEWITT/B. Ulihrach 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
An interview with:  LLEYTON HEWITT
October 16, 2001


MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton.

Q. 3-Love to 3-All, sort of a wake-up call?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was strange. Yeah, he was getting to be more and
more dangerous on the return of serve rather than the service games of his
own.

He started off serving pretty well. Then his percentage I think went down a
fair bit. I was starting to look at a lot of second serves. 3-Love, I was
telling myself, "This isn't over. He's going to come out."

He's the kind of guy, gets in a bit of rhythm, it's hard for me to find
rhythm because he hits the ball so hard and flat.

Came out that next game. Didn't make too many first serves. Gave him that
opportunity to get on top of me.

Q. Is the pace of this court good for you?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. It's bloody slow.

Q. That's what I mean. Not as slow as last week.
LLEYTON HEWITT: No?

Q. Terribly slow last week.
LLEYTON HEWITT: These balls, somebody's got to do something about the balls.
Doesn't help it at all. Places like here, I don't know what Paris is going to
be like, those balls are so fluffy and heavy out there after one and a half,
two games. When you get to the seventh, eighth, and ninth game before the
ball change, it's pretty hard to hit too many winners.

Q. Kafelnikov last week was saying the balls could be a long-term danger as
far as injuries.
LLEYTON HEWITT: I remember this time last year, same problem. Goran, myself,
Marat, were sitting with our forearms getting rubbed before our matches every
day. Something someone has to look at. We keep saying it. Nothing happens.

Q. You've had such a great spell of wins. Does it make you feel like a
different player when you're out there, having not tasted defeat for long?
Must be good for the self-confidence. Even when you're in the situation
you're in today, you feel as though you're going to get out of it.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I feel that's the biggest thing. I've got that winning
feeling at the moment. You know, doesn't really matter what situation I'm in,
I don't press the panic button, I don't think. That just comes with
experience. You know, that self-belief, inner self-belief out there as well.
I believe I'm able to get out of those kind of matches.

I'm not hitting the ball well out there tonight. That probably makes me more
happy that I'm able to fight my way out of it, get a win out of it.

Q. Has the win at the US Open changed your perspective on how things are? Are
you a calmer person as a result or still as pumped up when you go on court as
you always were?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. It's hard at the moment. It's very hard. It's
been an extremely long year. My main focus for the rest of the year is the
Masters and the Davis Cup final. There's no doubt, the Davis Cup final is the
big one for me. The way that I'm looking at the next three, four weeks before
the Masters, then the Davis Cup, I want to be peaking for those two events.

If I have a couple of early losses here, I don't really care too much because
at the end of the day, I've had a great year. I've won a Slam. It's been an
unbelievable feeling, an unbelievable few weeks for me.

I just think that, you know, the Davis Cup would top it off as a really great
year.

Q. Was there a temptation not even to come to Europe? Pat has made no secret
of the fact this time of the year, this part of the world doesn't exactly
please him. Was there ever a thought to hold it back for Sydney and Melbourne?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Went through my mind (smiling), especially the way things are
going, as well. You know, Australia is a long ways away. I don't reckon those
guys have heard of Kangaroo Island and those places (laughter).

Yeah, it went through my mind. I feel like, you know, I still wanted to
finish the year off well. I think not going into the Masters and Davis Cup
final with no preparation, for me, it's not being very professional I don't
think for me. I wouldn't be hitting the ball as well as I should be I don't
think going into it.

That's why at the end of the day, I spoke to Fitzy, spoke to Wally straight
after the Davis Cup. I was knackered after the Davis Cup. Media commitments
back in Australia, straight off The Open, then having to go to the Davis Cup
so soon and practice. It takes a lot out of you. Even though it's three days
of tennis, the whole practice and thinking about playing for your country
takes a lot out of you.

To go to Tokyo, I struggled through that. Didn't play good, but still got the
wins on the board. To come here, by the time I got to Europe on the Monday
night, I only had a few days before I had to start practicing and playing
here.

It would have been nice to take a few weeks off. It's not the case at the
moment.

Q. Putting the ball on the other foot, do you worry a bit about Pat?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really. I think I've seen Pat only the last few
years, but I've heard that he doesn't enjoy these tournaments too much. I
think for Pat to play his best tennis, obviously there's no secret that the
Davis Cup is the big one for him. We all want to win it for him, as well,
because we think he's done so much for Australian tennis. I just think that
deep down he knows what's best for himself going in.

If he thinks three matches at a minimum in the Masters is going to be enough
preparation, then that's fine with me.

I think it's more mental going in. I think that's what Pat is thinking about.
He doesn't want to get drained out, going nuts here in Europe, go home and
have to play the Masters before the Davis Cup final. I think it's a good move
for Pat.

Q. You'll have to tell him it was a sunny day today.
LLEYTON HEWITT: He won't believe it. He's sitting back in New South. Pretty
nice.

Q. Could you chill out here more than you could at home? The pressure is more
on you in Australia. You can relax even a bit more here.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, a little bit.

Q. Is that possible?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It is possible. But still if I was at home, I'd be putting
the feet up. If I'm over here, I've got to play. That's the way I see it. I'm
not going to come here, everyone knows, hey, I go out there and I'm not going
to give in a point. I'm not just going to come here and roll over. That's not
what it's about either.

You know, I come here. It's very hard the whole day, whole weeks leading in,
you're thinking about performing your best at these tournaments.

Even though there's probably not as much pressure on me this week to try to
make the Masters as it was last year, where I had to come here and make the
semis or final to get in, you still want to go out there and give your best.

Q. You were very much a public figure at home long before the US Open this
year. How much more has that intensified? Can you go out with your mates and
be private or is it impossible?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's pretty hard. At least I got to go and meet the Prime
Minister and go through the Grand Final before the AFL Grand Final, got a
parade around the oval.

It's tough, though. Obviously in my hometown of Adelaide the last few years
it's been extremely tough as well. Since I came on the scene, it's a much
smaller place than  -- smaller than Sydney or Melbourne.

The Davis Cup, had to go to Sydney. At the moment tennis is huge in
Australia. That's because of the Davis Cup and the success Pat has had at
Wimbledon, then me at the US Open.

It is tough to go places now and be very private, I suppose.

Q. Has there been one aspect of recognition that surprised you more than any
other, any odd thing that's happened that really brought it home to you, what
an impact your win had?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. There's been so much support from back home, it's
incredible. My whole career I've known that the Australian public is behind
me. You can just tell.

The ovations that I got when I went around the ground at the MCG in front of
100,000. I love football. I'd never been to a Grand Final. For me to be
sitting in a car going around the game ten minutes before it started, the
whole place was a buzz. A great feeling, great honor to be out there for me.

Q. Has the icy relationship with the media mellowed somewhat at all as well -
the Aussie media?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Don't know. Haven't had too many bad things written I don't
think in the last few weeks. It's hard when you keep winning (laughter).

It's been fine. As I said, I haven't had too much bad about me. Yeah, not
much I can do about it either.

Q. Can you explain the decision of playing Hopman Cup versus Adelaide?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Haven't really even decided a hundred percent yet.

Q. Going to announce it tomorrow.
LLEYTON HEWITT: I've got to still talk to Darren and stuff. It's not a
hundred percent yet.

Q. How does that weigh against your preparation? How do you put it all
together?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's all got to do with the Australian Open. There's only one
Grand Slam in Australia, that's the Australian Open, that's in Melbourne.
That's the last two weeks of January. My preparation for the first two weeks
of January is going to be whatever is best for me stepping on that court at
Melbourne Park. There's no two ways about it. It's the biggest tournament in
Australia.

The last couple of years, I haven't done as well as I've done, especially at
the US Open, even the French and Wimbledon. I've just got to look at it the
way I've prepared for other tournaments and what's going to be the best for
me.

Who knows, even if I do something different, it may not work. I've just got
to sit down and I've got to think what's going to be best for me.

Q. What are the principal options?
LLEYTON HEWITT: There's a handful. Hopman Cup, Adelaide, week off, then
Sydney. You have Hopman Cup and Sydney. Kooyong. There's another exhibition
in Melbourne the week before, as well as Kooyong. Octagon has put it on.

Q. Where?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I'm not sure of the place. There is another exhibition.

There's a number of options that I've got up my sleeve. That's a good thing.
I don't really have to rush into making any rash decisions. As I said,
everything this year is going to be for my preparation for the Australian
Open. The other years going in has been: i need the points.

That's why I've played the two tournaments back to back. Whether I've been
fatigued because  -- obviously I've played pretty well in Australia in the
past. Who knows.

Q. After the Davis Cup, is the Australian Open now your No.  1 priority?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's up there, no doubt. I've been going to Melbourne
Park ever since it opened as a little kid walking around there. I get a huge
buzz from walking around Melbourne Park, getting on that centre court.

It's going to be a good feeling going there winning the last Slam the year
before. There's probably going to be more pressure, more expectation as well.
I'm just going to go out there, enjoy myself. In the past I've played some
big matches, played pretty well in Melbourne and the Australian Open.
Hopefully I can put it together for four, five, six, maybe seven matches
there next year.

Q. Talking about the Davis Cup final, I'm assuming you and Pat have had input
on the fact that it's going to be grass.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. We spoke about it the night after we won. It's nice to
have a choice about a Davis Cup final. We spoke about it. We felt that grass
was going to give us maybe a bigger advantage.

Q. Do you speak regularly to Fitzy? He's not here. Before the final, will you
speak to him?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, a fair bit. I've spoken a couple of times since I've
been away already. We get along really well. He wants to obviously know how
we're feeling over here. There's not a lot to talk about really now.

Q. I suppose he felt it wasn't necessary to make the trip.
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really. Especially Pat, I don't know if he plans on
coming over in the next two weeks or not, but if he doesn't, he's staying
home, as well. He can obviously monitor Pat's preparation as well there. It's
hard to decide whether they should come over because we all have sort of
private coaches, as well. They don't want to interfere in our individual
tournaments, even though the Davis Cup is sort of the priority.

END--FastScripts by ASAP Sports...