Hewitt, Rafter in last 16
From our wire services
01 July 01
News Interactive
LONDON: Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter were less than convincing but moved through to the fourth round at Wimbledon overnight with victories over Moroccan opponents.
Fifth seed Hewitt extended his win-loss record on grass this year to 15-0 as he subdued Younes El Aynaoui 7-5 5-7 6-4 7-6. 

Third seed Rafter defeated Hicham Arazi 7-6 6-4 7-5. 

Rafter, beaten finalist last year, produced a below-par performance but still emerged victorious after 2hrs 2mins to set up a last-16 meeting with Russia's Mikhail Youzhny.

While Arazi, seeded 27th, delighted with his touch play, Rafter called on his experience to win the big points.

He took the first set tiebreak 7-3 with the help of a stunning cross-court passing shot and achieved a crucial break of serve in the fifth game of the second set by exposing Arazi at the net once more.

Although Arazi saved three break points to hang on early in the third set, Rafter eventually broke to lead 6-5 and he sealed his opponent's fate with an ace on his first match point.


Hewitt's victory was another effort short of Hewitt's best, following his desperate five-set second round win over qualifier Taylor Dent.

The 20-year-old South Australian was short of being in command against the 82nd-ranked El Aynaoui, whose ranking hit 15 a year ago but who was now rebuilding after injury.

El Aynaoui had the first chance to break in the match, in game two. But he wasted the opportunity and after both men held serve strongly for the next nine games, it was Hewitt who pounced first in the 12th, breaking El Aynaoui to take the set.

It was Hewitt who blinked first in the second set in the face of El Aynaoui's continuing onslaught. Serving to stay in the set at 5-6, he suffered the same fate as El Aynaoui had in the first, with two errors from 30-30 costing him the set.

There remained little between the players in the third set as they stayed mainly at the baseline and it was Hewitt who grabbed the decisive break for 5-4 when El Aynaoui netted a backhand on the second break point. Hewitt held to love to take the set.

Play was stopped for around half-an-hour with Hewitt about to serve at 2-3 in the fourth, but the break seemed to have little affect on both players' concentration.

There were no cracks in the set until Hewitt had two break points at 5-5, but the dogged El Aynaoui fought out of both and a tiebreak ensued.

Hewitt grabbed the early advantage by taking the first point off El Aynaoui's serve after a spirited rally.

He cleared out to a 6-2 lead with another mini-break and converted his third match point with an unreturned serve which wrapped up the tiebreak 7-4.


Hewitt grinds out four set win 
By Trevor Marshallsea
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt made it through to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time, grinding out a four sets win over gallant Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui.

Fifth seed Hewitt extended his win-loss record on grass this year to 15-0 as he subdued his 29-year-old opponent's booming forehand in a 7-5 5-7 6-4 7-6 win.

But it was another effort which was short of Hewitt's best, following his desperate five-set second round win over qualifier Taylor Dent.

He was due to play the winner out of the all-French third rounder between ninth seed Sebastien Grosjean and 24th-seed Nicolas Escude.

The 20-year-old South Australian was short of being in command against the 82nd-ranked El Aynaoui, whose ranking hit 15 a year ago but who was now rebuilding after injury.

El Aynaoui had the first chance to break in the match, in game two.

But he wasted the opportunity and after both men held serve strongly for the next nine games, it was Hewitt who pounced first in the 12th, breaking El Aynaoui to take the set.

It was Hewitt who blinked first in the second set in the face of El Aynaoui's continuing onslaught. Serving to stay in the set at 5-6, he suffered the same fate as El Aynaoui had in the first, with two errors from 30-30 costing him the set.

There remained little between the players in the third set as they stayed mainly at the baseline and it was Hewitt who grabbed the decisive break for 5-4 when El Aynaoui netted a backhand on the second break point.

Hewitt held to love to take the set.

Play was stopped for around half an hour with Hewitt about to serve at 2-3 in the fourth, but the break seemed to have little affect on both players' concentration.

There were no cracks in the set until Hewitt had two break points at 5-5, but the dogged El Aynaoui fought out of both and a tiebreak ensued.

Hewitt grabbed the early advantage by taking the first point off El Aynaoui's serve after a spirited rally.

He cleared out to a 6-2 lead with another mini-break and converted his third match point with an unreturned serve which wrapped up the tiebreak 7-4.