L. HEWITT/N. Davydenko
6-2, 6-3

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's nice to finish before midnight. I didn't really care when Andy finished, it was more trying to get in bed at a decent hour.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. You know, the first couple of matches we played I was probably, yeah, I was one of the top guys in the world and he was on his way up. So first time we played in Miami - I think it was - that was one of his first tour events; he beat Sampras earlier in the tournament. The last couple of times, last three or four times we've played, we've both been at the top of the game and we've had some extremely tight matches. The biggest one was probably the Aussie Open semifinal I'd say this year.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, as I said, the first couple were, yeah, he was on the way up and I was at the top. So, you know, that was probably a little unfair advantage. But, you know, the last few, the one he got me at was on grass at Queen's Club and he played extremely well that day. I probably didn't play my best tennis in that period. But, you know, still, he's a tough player to play any time.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it got better and better. Yeah, tonight's the best that I've played all week, so that's a huge positive. And, yeah, it's good to play a guy like Davydenko who's ranked, you know, six or seven in the world now. He's not easy, but you've got to play well to beat him. He's not going to give you the match. It's good to come through those matches, especially in preparation for the US Open in just over a week's time. Now step it up and play I guess a better player, better all-around player than Davydenko is Andy Roddick now. So it's good to see where your game's at and, you know, really test yourself a week before the Open.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Uhm, well, score-wise maybe the Rusedski match in the second round, but I didn't nearly play my best tennis in that match so I made it a lot tougher on myself than it probably should have been. But he played extremely well and there was a lot of tight, crucial points in that match. The last two rounds I've really stepped it up when I needed to against both Ancic and Davydenko, who are two worthy opponents.

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's always a challenge, but a lot of guys out there now got pretty big serves. Obviously, Andy's one of the biggest - if not the biggest out there. But you go out there with the mindset that he's going to hit a lot of aces, he's going to hit a lot of unreturnable serves, and you got to really focus on your game and take your opportunities when they come because against guys like that you're not going to get as many opportunities as maybe playing some other top stars or players out there. So you really got to take your chances.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Uhm, I don't know. When I played him in Queen's, I didn't find a huge difference on grass than grass and hard court. I think he comes off pretty well on hard court as well (smiling). You know, he still gets a fair few aces and cheap points on hard court. I don't think there's a huge difference. I think clay, there's a lot bigger difference.

WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS
CINCINNATI, OHIO

August 18, 2005

L. HEWITT/M. Ancic 3rd round
6-1, 6-4

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, Lleyton Hewitt. Questions, please.

Q. You started a lot better today. What may have been the reasons for that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Just getting another match under my belt, I think. You know, just went out there, served a lot better today the whole match. Against Andreev I served a bit patchy in the first round, and against Rusedski I served ordinary the whole match. So that was definitely something I felt like I needed to do a lot better today. You know, Ancic takes a lot of cuts on second serves, so I felt like I had to get a high percentage in. You know, I served great for most of the match.

Q. It was just getting the matches under your belt; it wasn't continuing recovery from the virus that made you play better?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. You know, I think maybe I'm feeling a little bit better. It's hard to tell when you're out there. I felt pretty good out there today. I was happy the way I hit the ball. I think I moved a lot better as well, you know. Not playing a lot of matches the last couple of weeks, I think that's the biggest thing in my game, is the movement side of it.

Q. Did you feel like you needed to get off to a fast start considering what happened yesterday?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. I'd rather be on the side of getting that first set 6-1 than losing it. But, you know, it wasn't something that I deliberately planned on, you know, doing any different today. I planned on doing it yesterday as well; it just didn't quite work.

Q. Has the virus made you second-guess how you feel every day; you don't know whether it's the virus or just the way you wake up?

LLEYTON HEWITT: A little bit probably a few days ago. I'd say not so much now. You know, I feel pretty good when I've woken up the last two or three days now. So, you know, hopefully the virus is fully out of the system.

Q. Between matches are you watching carefully what you're eating this week, or is it like back to normal for you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not -- no, now it's a lot easier to eat, you know, whatever I feel like basically.

Q. How do the conditions compare here as compared to New York?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Uhm, pretty similar, I think. You know, humid conditions. You know, my first round against Andreev it was really heavy conditions out there, and I think that played a totally different part. Whereas I haven't quite felt that in New York quite as much, you know. Even if it's overcast or whatever, it doesn't quite get as heavy as it did here in my first match. Normally the ball, you know -- it's a different ball, the Wilson ball compared to the Penn. Normally, the Wilson ball at the US Open flies a fair bit through the air as well and can be sometimes a lot tougher to control.

Q. Are you a better player than when you won the US Open?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think so. I mean, in a whole week in and week out, I think so, yeah.

Q. In what ways? You've got more of an all-court game, more variety?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think so. I've probably got a little bit more weight behind most of my shots as well now. My movement's still -- you know, I don't think there was too much wrong with my movement back then, and, you know, it's not a whole different now. You know, it's probably a bit more weight, probably a little bit more variety as well, and I'm probably definitely serving a lot better.

Q. That gives you more tactical options?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it does. I guess when you're out there, you know, a lot of the guys these days are pretty one-dimensional. There's not a whole heap of guys like Greg Rusedski or Tim Henman, these guys that are capable of chip-charging, serve-volleying. So, you know, if I can throw in a little bit different tactic now and then, you know, you never know; that element of surprise can sometimes help.

Q. Roger Federer said the other day that one of the things that's changed for him over the years is he could change in the middle of a game. If something wasn't working, he could go to something else. Is that something that's happened with you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think I've always probably got my stock standard, you know, not a lot of unforced errors out there, move extremely well, make my opponents hit a lot of balls. And, you know, I think that's definitely an area of my game that I've tried to work on the last couple of years, to try and dictate a little bit more and be aggressive when I need to and step up on the court. You know, I think it's definitely helped my game overall on every surface.

Q. They say a quarter of the body's heat goes out through the head. On humid days like this, does it make it cooler to play without a hat?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It actually felt pretty cool out there with a hat on today.

Q. It doesn't have any sort of physical advantages for you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I'm not sure. Yeah, it was a little bit strange not wearing a hat in hot conditions because I've just -- I've always been, especially with white, I think, reflecting the sun as well. So who knows what I'll do in the future.

Q. Every year we talk about how the tour becomes tougher and how there are more players that can win. Now we have almost as many wildcards and qualifiers left in the draw as there are seeded players. What does that tell you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Just men's depth, I think. You know, we've said it for a number of years now that, you know, it's hard for any top player to go out; that you don't get given easy first-round or second-round wins. You've got to go out there and earn it every time you step on the court. You know, we see that whether it's Roddick last week, you know, losing in the first round in Montreal; Nadal this week. There's never any easy matches and, you know, you've got to bring your A game every time you step on to the court. I think that's making it tougher and tougher. You know, there are no easy matches. I think that's on all surfaces as well.

Q. There is a big effort to try to get the top players to play more doubles. Do you think the tour's too difficult now to play singles and doubles?

LLEYTON HEWITT: More doubles?

Q. Yeah. Is it too difficult for a top player, he's tested all the time in singles, can he cope with both?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's hard to say. I think in these kind of tournaments where you got to win six matches in seven days against Top 50 opponents in this kind of heat, I wouldn't really want to be doing it. Yeah, I think your recovery time you need, especially leading into a Grand Slam as well. So, you know, every week is different. Some of the smaller tournaments, you know, maybe it can help out. I play, you know -- when I pick and choose when I play doubles is more preparation when I haven't played a lot of matches and felt like I want to get a match before a singles. So a lot depends on the timing. But, you know, with so many tough matches, it does make it hard to ask the top singles players to play week-in and week-out doubles.

Q. As close as everybody is, what's the difference between you and everyone else in the Top 10 and then guys that aren't quite in the Top 10? You go out there and you're playing Federer or Roddick or any of those guys, what's the difference playing them as opposed to playing the guy you played today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: They've probably got something, you know, a little bit extra, something a bit special, I guess, you know, that sets them apart from, you know, the big group that everyone can hit a tennis ball over the net and move pretty well on the tour these days. You know, a guy like Federer's got every shot in the game. You know, he moves extremely well. He's got a great serve. You know, everything. A guy like Roddick, obviously, his power serve and forehand. Yeah, I think everyone's different in certain ways. I think everyone outside of, you know, 20 to 50 to 100 in the world, you know, they're great tennis players, but maybe they don't have quite that something special that a guy like Roger Federer does.

Q. If you could say one thing that you have that's special, what would it be?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I don't know if there is anything (smiling).

Q. It doesn't have to be a stroke, it could be...

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't know. I think mentally I'm pretty good in pretty much any situation so...

Q. How did you get that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Grew up with it, I guess.

Q. Did you inherit it, or was it just through your parents or environment?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Wouldn't have a clue. Don't know.

L. HEWITT /G. Rusedski  Aug 19 2nd rd

1‑6, 7‑5, 6‑4

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, Lleyton Hewitt. Questions, please.

Q. You did really well to get out of that. Are you feeling any better? Are you feeling you might still be a bit rough?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, the way I played the first set I was a bit rough. He served extremely well, though. He played well. You know, he didn't give as many cheap points as maybe he normally does, especially from the back of the court and on my service games as well.

So, yeah, it was more just a matter of feeling my way into the match and, you know, trying to get some games under my belt and hold serve as much as possible there in the second set and just try and get it at least a tight situation. And that's when I got a couple of errors out of him and hit a couple of good returns.

Q. Would you say you're physically better but not 100%?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Right at the moment I'd say, yeah, I get better and better every day I think.

But today's matchup was just totally different conditions, different opponent, style of game and everything to the guy I played yesterday in Andreev. So you couldn't have had two more opposite guys.

Q. Did you have a feeling if you'd not saved those breakpoints in the second set you would have been a goner then?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, the way he was serving at that time, he was serving extremely well. Apart from an early breakpoint in the second set, he was holding serve pretty comfortably there. He had good rhythm on his serve and, you know, who knows.

But, you know, would have made life a bit tougher.

Q. Do you feel even more pressure when it's just ‑‑ when you maybe only have one or two chances in a whole match and you know you have to take them?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, sometimes. You know, it was obviously ‑‑ in the third set there, you know, fought extremely hard to get breakpoint at 4‑3 and then he comes up with an ace right on the edge of the line at 141. There's nothing you can do about it, though, so you sort of just go put your head down and keep working. Hit a couple more aces to finish that game off. You sort of just have to put it behind you as much as possible.

Q. What do you attribute his success in the first set to?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I wasn't playing great. I didn't serve well at all, especially in the first set. I didn't serve great for the whole match compared to how I served yesterday.

But he didn't make a lot of errors either. He didn't give me too many cheap points. He served extremely well, especially in the first set and a half and, you know, really didn't give me that many opportunities to get into his service game.

Q. Health‑wise, did you feel okay today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I felt not too bad. Yeah, I felt all right.

Q. What changed with his service game in the last half of the match?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Definitely missed some first serves, I think, you know, at crucial times. You know, I just made him play a lot more, I think, as the match went on. It was just a matter of me seeing his serve and getting into that rhythm. As I said, it was just totally different kind of player to what I played yesterday. So it just took me a little bit of time to adjust and get in the flow of playing that big lefty that's coming at you the whole time.

Q. What's with the two changes in appearance? There was the Pat Cash headband, then nothing at all. Looked quite different out there.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't know. Just really not a huge ‑‑ I don't know. I had a haircut and a bit of a change.

Q. Why did you take it off?

LLEYTON HEWITT: That one was sweaty and I actually forgot to put it back on. Started serving a bit better, so I kept it off.

Q. Given what happened last week, is every match this week a bonus for you? Are your expectations lower this tournament?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Every match is definitely a bonus. I think any time going into Grand Slams ‑ especially now, you know, after not feeling great last week and having to pull out ‑ every match I can get under my belt. And that's probably the most pleasing thing out of today's match, is I get another crack at someone tomorrow.

Yeah, I think every match that I play I'm hopefully going to get better and better.

Q. You've played a lot going into the US Open and you've had a lot of success. This time it's different. Do you think it will make a difference when it comes to Flushing Meadows?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not a whole heap, I don't think. You never know until you get there really, but next week I'll be having a good practice week in New York and hitting a lot of balls, playing a lot of practice sets. Years that I won the US Open I didn't have a great leadup and didn't play that many matches actually before and in 2001.

So I've had both extremes. I think if your mind's set and ready to go come Monday fortnight, then hopefully I'll be okay.

Q. Do you prefer one or the other, do you prefer playing a lot in the runup?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Depends how you're feeling, you know, your body sort of at the time I think more than anything. Last year I felt comfortable and didn't take a lot of energy out of me, especially playing Long Island and getting those extra matches.

So, you know, every year's different I think.

Q. Any comments on the cricket?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's tight (smiling).

L. HEWITT/I. Andreev
6-3, 6-4

LLEYTON HEWITT: Serious enough to pull out of a match when I'm on court for the first time in my career. So, you know, I got it just before we left Sydney last -- the end of last week. So it wasn't a pleasant flight over. Didn't eat for about four or five days anything. So, yeah, it hit me pretty bad.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I felt a little bit awkward the last few days just training, getting back into the routine of things again. And, you know, I'm definitely a lot better than I was a week ago.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, not too bad. Got better as the match went on. Having a lot heavier conditions today than what we've been practicing in as well, so, for the last four or five days. So it was totally different. It was amazing how much difference the conditions, you know -- it's so heavy out there, whereas --

LLEYTON HEWITT: The balls were very heavy out there. It was hard to hit a lot of winners. And he works the ball well from the back of the court as well; he hits it extremely heavy. So that made life a little bit tougher out there.

LLEYTON HEWITT: The weather?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, you always prefer a bit better weather than we've had today. But this isn't really what, you know, we're all used to I don't think playing in Cincinnati.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, a little bit. It was probably better only playing one game than getting to 4-All or something in the first set. So in terms of that, it wasn't too bad. It was just refocusing on starting the match again basically. But, you know, it was still important to try and get that first set under my belt. I felt like I played the big points when I needed to towards the end of the first set a lot better than he did.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I played two Davis Cup matches as well straight after Wimbledon. So, yeah, it's important, there's no doubt about that. But right at the moment, you know, try and get as many matches this week as possible. And I always feel pretty comfortable when I get to Flushing Meadows. I really like the atmosphere and the court surface there. I think the whole tournament really suits my game and my attitude as well. So, you know, I always look forward to getting there, and hopefully I can, you know, make a few steps in the right direction this week.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, no.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really, not in terms of defending what I did last year at all. More so I like coming back here because I've played well here in the past. Apart from my first-round loss two years ago, I've made two finals and at least one semi here. All the players that I've lost to have been pretty good players that have won this tournament in certain years. So, you know, I always feel it's nice to come back here. I like the atmosphere here in Cincinnati. I like the court surface as well. It's great preparation for the US Open.

LLEYTON HEWITT: When you have, you know, four or five days where you don't hit a ball and you don't eat much, you got to try and get -- it's just a gradual buildup more than anything. So the first couple of days that I started hitting again, it was a little bit of a culture shock, especially it was pretty hot here the first couple days that I started hitting. So it took a couple of days to get back into it. I feel a lot better than I did when I first started hitting. I feel fully over the virus or the infection. But, you know, it's just a matter of, you know, getting matches and getting that practice and getting in that routine again.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I'm not 100% sure. I thought it might have been food poisoning first off. It was just my stomach basically that was playing up so I just couldn't keep any food down. And, you know, they did blood tests and whatever and couldn't find a whole heap. It was just some kind of virus that was in my system for about a week or so.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I'm sure I did, you know. When you're not eating, there's not a whole heap going in.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, absolutely. I think it shows with, you know, last week. You play with niggling injuries and little stuff the majority of tournaments most weeks. But last week was a case where, you know, I was sitting in the doctor's office 10 minutes before walking out on court still tossing out whether I was going to actually be able to go out there or not. You know, it's never a great feeling when you have to pull out of a tournament. I thought maybe once I got out there, you know, something miraculous might happen, but it just got worse and worse for the first five or seven games that I ended up playing. So, you know, there was no point doing any more damage, that's for sure.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I think it just comes naturally for me. It's not something that, you know, I definitely don't have to work on, that's for sure. Yeah, it just comes naturally. In New York there's a great atmosphere there out at Flushing Meadows, whether you're playing in the afternoon or some great night matches that I've played there in the past as well. So, you know, I really enjoy going back there. And, you know, I've been fortunate the last four or five years to have pretty good success there as well.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I still doubt it with those top guys. Federer is in a class of his own. I don't think limited matches are going to affect him too much whatsoever. He's played enough big matches and his record in finals against Top 10 players over the last two years really speaks for itself. I don't think it's really going to cause him a lot of havoc. Even the guys -- pretty much everyone's here fully fit apart from obviously Andre, but he's obviously hitting the ball well going on last week. So guys are going to get matches, a lot of practice in hopefully hot conditions the rest of this week, and then everyone's going to be training pretty hard next week at Flushing Meadows. Come Monday a fortnight from now I think everyone will be ready to go.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. Not a whole heap, no.