The French Open commencing May 27 2002

"The Bladder" Edition 100 - 100 Not Out
Thursday, June 06, 2002

TENNIS
“Murder!”: Flowers target United Nations
by STAFF REPORTERS


ROLAND GARROS, PARIS, MONDAY: Leading floral delegates have petitioned the United Nations to take action against Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt for “deliberate and violent acts of murder” during his fourth round match at the French Open.

A spokesflower told The Bladder that flowers across the globe were incensed by Hewitt’s surge of aggression, which was captured widely by the world media and left six geraniums dead. Another two flowers remain in a critical condition.

As the French Open moved towards the semi-finals, a variety of floral arrangements, pot plants and other flora gathered outside the Grand Slam venue carrying tributes and placards protesting the needless death of the “Roland Garros Six”, as the dead flowers have been branded in media outlets sympathetic to the floral cause.

“What has the human-flower relationship come to when some bozo with a tennis racquet can bludgeon several of our brethren to death in front of an entire stadium full of people, not to mention the eyes and ears of the international media, and expect to get away with it?” the spokesflower said.

The flower petition before a full Assembly of the United Nations demands that Hewitt be brought to trial for “war crimes”, the punishment of which could see the Australian jailed for the term of his natural life.

“It’s simply not enough to say a tennis match was in the balance, or that his Argentinian rival was frustrating him with deep baseline play and unwavering precision. This is blatant and unrepentant murder that we’re discussing. The lives of six flowers have been lost,” the spokesflower told a press conference at the Parisian Botanic Gardens.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, vowed that the flowers’ case would be treated with the gravest concern.

“UN Convention Number 17,828, the European Convention on the suppression of terrorism, as concluded at Strasbourg on January 27, 1977, is very clear on violence against individuals. Hewitt’s unprovoked and vicious attack on the Roland Garros Six, as we are calling the deceased flowers, deserves to be examined in detail,” he said.

Hewitt appeared stunningly unrepentant as he flew to London to prepare for Wimbledon today, eating a box of Roses chocolates as he waited in the departure lounge

Booed Hewitt bows out of Open
June 3 2002

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt was booed off court today after being knocked out of the French Open 7-6(7-1) 6-7(13-15) 4-6 3-6 by Argentinian Guillermo Canas.

Hewitt made no obvious displays of unsporting behaviour, apart from smashing his tennis racquet into a flower box after missing a shot, to provoke the churlish response after an epic match.

But pro-Canas crowd, including Canas's parents, repeatedly jeered and whistled Hewitt for any minor show of temper while ignoring any similar displays from the 15th seed.

In the second set, with Hewitt one set up, Canas repeatedly smashed his racquet into the clay in frustration without a murmur from the crowd.

But when Hewitt bounced his racquet in disgust minutes later, the crowd hissed and whistled. The final boos were unwarranted after both players turned in a magnificent display of fighting tennis lasting 4 hours 13 minutes on a hot Paris day.

But it may have been a left-over of last year's fourth-round match between the pair in which Hewitt called the chair umpire a spastic and came back from two sets to love to win.

But today, it was Canas who came back, showing no signs of weariness despite his five-set match against Carlos Moya on Friday.

"Why are you pushing it?" Hewitt yelled at himself at one point, frustrated by yet another unforced error on his backhand.

Hewitt's concentration appeared to fade as the match entered its fourth hour.

His serve was uncharacteristically patchy, with 15 double faults, some at crucial points.

Hewitt came back from a break down to take the first set in a tie-break.

At one stage in the second, he was down 2-5 but saved five set points to force a second tie-break, eventually won by Canas 15-13 in the longest tie-break Hewitt had ever played.

A double break in the third set gave Canas another 5-2 lead, but Hewitt saved three more break points before Canas eventually won the set.

The world No.1 powered into the fourth set and raced to a 3-0 lead, making a fifth set look an inevitability.

But Canas rebounded and Hewitt lost six games in a row to lose the match.

Guga's gone, Hewitt, too, after fourth round of French Open

Jun 2, 2002 5:49 PM (EDT)

By HOWARD FENDRICH
PARIS (AP) - It turns out Gustavo Kuerten CAN be outslugged in the French Open.

And, just as surprisingly, Lleyton Hewitt CAN be outhustled.

Three-time champion Kuerten and the top-ranked Hewitt bowed out in fourth-round matches that finished 30 minutes apart Sunday at opposite ends of Roland Garros.

Kuerten's 17-match winning streak in the Grand Slam tournament dissolved in a matter-of-fact 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 loss to 20th-seeded Albert Costa, a Spaniard whose 11 career titles all have come on clay.

"He didn't let me play the way I wanted to," said Kuerten, who took 2½ months off after right hip surgery in February. "He really played a precise match."

Instead of a Hewitt-Kuerten showdown for a berth in the final four, Costa will play No. 15 Guillermo Canas of Argentina.

Canas heads to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal after winning the final six games to oust U.S. Open champion Hewitt 6-7 (1), 7-6 (13), 6-4, 6-3. The match started with temperatures in the 80s and finished more than four hours later with shadows covering half the court.

The second set alone took 1½ hours, with Hewitt wasting five set points and Canas finally ending it on his 10th. In the marathon tiebreaker, Hewitt's double fault made it 14-13, and Canas took advantage by snapping a crosscourt forehand winner.

He then ran to the changeover chairs pumping both fists and yelling, celebrating as though he had won match right there.

In a way, he did.

Canas had shown Hewitt - the ultimate on-court battler - that he was prepared to smack right back every apparent point-ender, and run, run, run.

"There's times where you think he's looking a bit tired, but then he bounces back pretty well," said Hewitt, who beat Canas in five sets played over two days at the same stage of last year's French Open. "Physically, he's very strong."

Another quarterfinal, two-time runner-up Alex Corretja will face No. 22 Andrei Pavel. Corretja beat Mariano Zabaleta 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, and Pavel upset No. 3 Tommy Haas 6-1, 7-6 (9), 6-4).

Andre Agassi, the 1999 champ, and Marat Safin are among those playing Monday for other spots in the last eight.

The women's quarterfinals are top-seeded Jennifer Capriati vs. No. 7 Jelena Dokic; No. 2 Venus Williams vs. No. 6 Monica Seles; No. 3 Serena Williams vs. 2000 champion Mary Pierce; and Clarisa Fernandez vs. Paola Suarez. All won Sunday.

Kuerten never could find the silky shots that propelled him to the French Open crown in 1997 (his first title anywhere) and the past two years.

A completely healthy Guga, as he's known, probably would have generated more than the eight groundstroke winners that weren't nearly enough to counter Costa's 21.

Another indication of the match's tenor: Kuerten had three break points, Costa 17.

"I was moving good, I was feeling good, and I was running very good," Costa said after reaching his third Grand Slam quarterfinal, all at Roland Garros. "I wish that it were the final. We still have a long way to go."

He might have to play all day against Canas, who's at his best on clay but showed versatility by reaching Wimbledon's fourth round last year.

Canas and Hewitt provided excellent play, animated displays, and sportsmanship.

They occasionally applauded each other's winners and even made their own line calls a few times, as though they were just two buddies on a public court.

The acting up was more frequent. Hewitt sliced his racket through a courtside flower box, sending red geranium petals flying; he had a ball boy hopping to avoid a ball hit in disgust after a lost point; he skipped three times toward the net while bellowing, "Come ooooooon!" after pounding a backhand passing shot down the line. Canas threw his racket twice in 11th game of the second set; later bounced it high in the air and, as it rebounded off the ground, kicked it; and often threw kisses to the sky.

Hewitt opened the fourth set by taking three straight games, but then came an avalanche of mistakes. Take out that last set, though, and it's clear how close the magnificent match was: Through three sets, Canas won 138 points, Hewitt 136.

When Hewitt's 105th unforced error slapped the net on Canas' third match point, the Argentine slid on his back with arms aloft, leaving clay in his hair.

"All my life I've played like this," said Canas, who never let up despite a blister on his left foot. "I fight every point."

So, generally, does Kuerten, which is part of why he and the French fans adore each other. He drew a heart in the clay after two match wins in 2001, and did a Ripkenesque victory lap slapping spectators' hands after his second-round match Wednesday.

While the victorious Costa was applauded politely as he walked off Center Court, the crowd of about 15,000 gave Kuerten a rowdy, 30-second salute: "Gu-ga!" Clap-clap-clap. "Gu-ga!" Clap-clap-clap. ^

Hewitt undone by cunning of Canas in four-hour marathon

French Open: World No 1 worn down by Argentinian's powers of recovery as Costa ends Kuerten's reign

By John Roberts in Paris

03 June 2002

Impressive though women's tennis can be at the top level, the WTA's finest would be pressed to match the shot-making and determination displayed by Guillermo Canas and Lleyton Hewitt for four hours and 13 minutes on Suzanne Lenglen Court at the French Open here yesterday.

Canas, the compact 15th seed from Argentina, prevailed, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3. It was his second consecutive marathon. Last Friday he was on court for four hours and 28 minutes against Carlos Moya, of Spain, the 1998 champion, whom he defeated in five sets.

Hewitt, the Australian world No 1, demonstrated his disappointment by belting courtside flowers with his racket as he left the arena. He was bound to be frustrated after losing the contest having secured the second set tie-break, 15-13. That set alone lasted 91 minutes.

It was not the first time Hewitt had marvelled at Canas' powers of recovery. "You've got to take your hat off to him," he said. "He's very strong out there. You think he's looking a bit tired, then he bounces back. I played him last year in five sets here. I've seen him in the Davis Cup. I think he even goes a little bit foxy. In the Davis Cup, when Scott Draper was playing him, he looked like he was down and out at the end of the third set. Then he bounced back somehow."

Yesterday, we also saw the end of Gustavo Kuerten's quest to win the title for the third time in a row. The Brazilian, who came into the tournament less well prepared than usual after recovering from hip surgery, was beaten by the persistent Albert Costa of Spain, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. Costa, the 20th seed, now plays Canas for a place in the semi-finals.

Volatile Hewitt happy to be the quiet achiever
By Roy Collins
Lleyton Hewitt's second match at the French Open was invaded by a gallery of squealing, unruly children, the first Wednesday traditionally being the day when schoolmasters all over France empty their classrooms into Roland Garros. This was wonderfully appropriate since Hewitt could be the subject of a thesis on the imperfect relationship between spoiled brats, toys and prams.

Even his sponsors, it is rumoured, share the disquiet about his outrageous verbosity on court and frustrating absence away from it, Hewitt seemingly failing to understand that lines are not only things that frame a tennis court but can also be delivered as part of an eloquent sentence or two.

The Australian press long since gave up on him, which is a pity when he is the country's first world No 1 since John Newcombe 28 years ago. And last week the French press made him the unwitting recipient of their annual lemon award for being the sourest, most unco-operative player on the tour.

This caused some amusement at his press conference since no one had the heart, or courage, to inform him of what he had said, or failed to say, to deserve it.

But being told by someone stretching euphemism to the limit that it was for the strongest character elicited a grain of humour even from Hewitt. "It's for the strongest character and it's called the lemon award?" he queried. "That makes sense."

If there were an award for strongest character, Hewitt, 21, might still have found himself winning votes on a par with Robert Mugabe, especially as Pat Rafter, who counts himself a friend, describes him as "a stubborn little mongrel".

Hewitt's only concession to softening his image has been to replace his south-facing baseball cap for a headband, perhaps believing that wearing something halo-shaped will automatically improve the perception of his behaviour. All this is a great shame because he deserves respect as the youngest No 1 in the history of tennis at a time when the game has never had such competitive depth. And to watch him on court, rather than to listen to the soundtrack of his efforts, it is difficult not to want to like him.

In terms of competitive fire, we are talking furnace with Hewitt and, if that determined white light in his eye when he struts on to court grows any brighter, the local watch might need to be put on standby. Given his lack of clay-court pedigree, Hewitt is a controversial top seed to win the Coupe des Mousquetaires next Sunday, possibly a malicious seeding since no No 1 has triumphed in an event since last year's French Open. But Hewitt's spirit alone could carry him close if he survives a ruthless examination today by Argentina's Guillermo Canas.

He still lacks the power and subtlety of the true clay- court performer, not yet mastering the silent stroke of execution, the gently massaged drop shot which so delights the audience here, possibly because it offers a piano moment between the heavily orchestrated ground strokes.

What he does have, however, is the intensity, the stamina and the sheer obstinacy to play on the red stuff. Patience may yet follow, though after his second-round win over Russia's Andrei Stoliarov, he admitted: "I was rushing for a while, I wasn't playing every ball on its merits.

"But I sort of went back to the game I know, grinding it out. I just called upon, sort of, my fighting spirit and just, you know, hung in there." For Hewitt, this is a flight of oratory.

Almost no one can be ruled out of the French Open at the halfway stage since attempting to predict the winner here is always like trying to assemble a jigsaw with ill-fitting pieces and this year is like trying to do so with half the pieces stuck behind the sofa.

That takes nothing away from the greatness of this tournament, although it had its share of mismatches in the opening week. Henman versus clay, sadly, again proved to be one of them, though at present, there is no bigger mismatch in tennis than A Kournikova versus A N Other.

After her first-round loss to Christina Wheeler, who had not won a serious match all year, Kournikova sashayed into the best-attended press conference of the week. And proving what a wonderful distraction she is to the serious stuff, the first question was about her pending lawsuit with Penthouse. Hewitt, God bless him, would have thought he was being asked about his living arrangements.

Hewitt says spotlight can be a burden

World tennis No.1 Lleyton Hewitt today spoke about the burden that being in the international spotlight can be.

Despite his relationship with world No.3 women's player Kim Clijsters, Hewitt, 21, is one of the least known No.1 players off the court.

He rarely grants interviews outside tournament press conferences and his relations with the media can be frosty.

Hewitt said it was not a deliberate decision by his management to keep him private, but more a result of his age and his opportunity to learn from Pat Rafter's experience at the top.

"Sometimes I enjoy being out there and being in the spotlight," he said.

"But then there's other times when I prefer to keep to myself and just be with family and friends."

Hewitt said he knew what being the world No.1 entailed.

"I understand what comes with being the world No.1 at the time, all the conditions that are part of it," he said.

"I've seen what Patrick Rafter has had to go through. I've been able to experience that right next to him, so I know the whole deal.

"But I don't like being in the spotlight all the time. I'd say most athletes are the same. Maybe I'm a little bit more."

Hewitt facing Canas
By Maria Hawthorne
01jun02

THE last time Lleyton Hewitt met Guillermo Canas at the French Open, Hewitt staged one of the comebacks of his career - and called the umpire a "spastic".

It was one of his most infamous on-court moments, and this Sunday he will revisit it.

Canas today set up a replay of last year's fourth-round match by beating Hewitt's Spanish nemesis Carlos Moya in a marathon five-set match stretching more than four-and-a-quarter hours.

Hewitt has beaten Canas five times in six matches but admitted he would have to improve to win again on Sunday.

The Australian looked better against Dutchman Sjeng Schalken today than he has all tournament, winning 6-1 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-1, but he lost concentration in patches, struggling with his serve and making unforced errors.

"No matter how well you're serving, you still feel like you're not going to go out there and serve four unreturnables and get an easy service game. That's the tough thing about playing on this surface," he said.

While there was an absence of fans in the centre court stands caused by the opening match of the soccer World Cup between France and Senegal, Hewitt put in a gutsy performance.

Hewitt said he remembered the Canas match well, using it for inspiration earlier this week when he lost eight games in a row to Russian challenger Andrei Stoliarov.

"There wouldn't be too many guys coming back against Canas two sets to love," he said.

But Canas showed today that he can match the world No.1's legendary ability to fight back in the face of defeat.

Even without a one-hour stoppage while the bomb squad blew up an abandoned briefcase high in the stands, it took Canas four hours and 17 minutes to beat Moya 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 6-2.

An aching Moya later described Canas as a "rock" but questioned how he would be able to back up on Sunday, saying it would take him days to recover.

"I don't know how Canas is going to be in two days. I mean, I'll be dead for sure in two days," Moya said.

Moya, who disposed of Australian Mark Philippoussis in the second round, took the first set relatively easily but the next two went to tie-breaks, Canas taking the first and Moya the second.

Canas hit a blistering patch of form in the fourth, racing away 6-1 to force a fifth set.

The first game alone of the decider lasted 13 minutes as a tiring Moya saved break point after break point from Canas.

It was the first time Canas had come back to win from two sets down and he said he was very confident of beating the top seed.

He remembered last year's loss "very well", he said.

"It was important for me. Last year I played very well here all through the tournament and I had the chance to go to the quarter-finals, but Lleyton played very well," Canas said.

"This year is going to be tough again. He's a very tough guy. But I'm very confident. I think this year I'm playing my best tennis in this tournament and I have confidence I can try to beat him."


Hewitt not sour at lemon award
By PATRICK MILES
31may02

PARIS: There is some confusion here about just who is the official "baddest" man in tennis. It could be Australia's world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt.

It is established that Gustavo Kuerten is Mr Nice because he was awarded in Paris the "Prix Orange" by French and some international tennis writers for having "most fair play on the circuit, as well as the most available for the media".

The annual "Prix Citron", however, was given to Hewitt, who follows a long line of players, most often Marcelo Rios, going back 25 years whose prickly behaviour has been honoured each year at the French Open.

The awards, inspired by similar accolades at the Cannes film festival, were created in 1977, when the versatile Ilie Nastase won the orange and the lemon.

In recent years only Yevgeny Kafelnikov has managed to prise the sourpuss of the year award away from Rios.

This time Hewitt has the honour, except that the description of the Prix Citron has changed since last year. It now "discerns the strongest character on the circuit".

The views of the French judges were divided as to whether the criteria had changed. Some thought the lemon was no longer a put-down; the majority believed it stood for one thing alone, the same characteristic that set apart Rios and Kafelnikov.

The world No.1 claimed he had never heard of the prizes.

"No idea," he said. When he was told that Rios usually wins the Prix Citron, he said: "Oh, yeah, must be a good award."

Hewitt makes heavy weather of beating Schalken

Lleyton Hewitt had to battle for more than three hours before booking his place in the fourth round of the French Open.
Hewitt let slip a 3-0 lead in the third set before eventually overcoming Sjeng Schalken 6-1 7-5 6-7 6-1 in three hours nine minutes at Roland Garros.

The Australian appeared to be cruising as he took the first two sets and broke Schalken's serve in the second game of the third.

But the 21-year-old then lost his serve twice in succession and four games in a row to fall 4-3 behind, and although he then broke back as the Dutchman served for the set, Schalken survived a crashing fall in the tie-break to take the set and reduce his deficit.

Hewitt was furious with himself for being dragged into a fourth set and set about completing the task with relish, breaking serve in the opening game and twice more to claim a place in the last 16.

Hewitt performs miraculous comeback

Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt recovered from a 4-6 0-5 deficit against a 'lucky loser' to fist-pump his way into the third round of Roland Garros early Wednesday evening.

Hewitt overcame a hearty assault from obscure Russian player Andrei Stoliarov, a 25-year-old journeyman who failed to qualify but gained entry into the main draw because two players withdrew with injury.

Despite his lack of big-match experience, the clean-cut Ruski appeared well on his way to handing the brash 21-year-old his second straight shock defeat at a Grand Slam this year (Hewitt had been sensationally bundled out of the Australian Open in the first round in January).

Down a set and three service breaks in the second after just one hour, the world No1 staged a miraculous comeback, eventually triumphing 4-6 7-6(5) 6-0 7-5 in front of a packed Court One.

"In Grand Slams, you've got to find a way to get through to the second week, then anything can happen," summed up the 2001 US Open champion.

"Once you've done well in Grand Slams, you start believing different things when you get out there. You don't doubt yourself."

Hewitt's less than inspiring win raised questions about the youngster's ability to cope with the current heavy conditions at Roland Garros, and therefore his potential to capture a second Grand Slam tournament.

What it did confirm though, was his instinctive ability to dig-deep and recover from seemingly insurmountable deficits, ala 'Rocky Balboa' of Rocky movie fame. Hewitt is a big fan of the series and could be heard muttering 'C'mon Rock!' to himself during the match.

"Actually, 'Rock' is the Rocky IV movie I watched prior to the match," said Hewitt. "I was sort of drawing on that a little bit at 6-4, 5-love down. He (Stoliarov) wasn't the big Russian, but he was Russian out there.

"It wasn't pretty tennis out there. I just hung in there. I just called upon sort of my fighting spirit out there and just, you know, hung in there."

Initially rattled by the deceptive, no-frills style of Stoliariov (who managed just 16 winners during the three-hour dual), the Aussie struggled to find his rhythm from the backcourt, lazily spraying his shots long and wide. Stoliarov broke Hewitt's serve in the ninth game of the first set, and then clinched the set when the Australian made four consecutive unforced errors.

Forced to defensively trade groundstrokes with his steady opponent, Hewitt was soon staring down the barrel of a two set deficit - 15 minutes into the second set, he was trailing 0-5.

"I was rushing, I wasn't taking my time," said the Aussie. "I wasn't playing every ball on its merits. You know, that sort of got me into that situation. I sort of went back to my B game, the game I know, grinding it out, just sort of fighting for everything out there. That got me back in the match."

Then, frightened by the possibility of producing the tournament's biggest upset to date, Stoliarov stumbled. Hewitt found his game and pounced, leaping on a spate of short balls to take charge and force a tiebreak.

At 1-1 in the tiebreak, the Aussie threaded a superb backhand passing shot cross court, soared into the air, pumped his fist and yelled 'Cmon!' He levelled the match with a screaming forehand winner from the middle of the court and then stole the third set in 26 minutes.

The top seed raced to a 2-0 lead in the fourth, but then lost momentum to win just one of the next six games. Trailing 3-5, Hewitt resurged again, reeling off four straight games for the match.

He next faces Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands.

Hewitt bustles through, but McEnroe says he'll be better off on grass
By Linda Pearce in Paris
May 28 2002

Just as appearances can be deceptive, United States Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe believes any prospect of Lleyton Hewitt winning this year's French Open title will prove illusory.

On Monday, Hewitt won his opening match against Andre Sa but will need to conjure something a little more special during the coming fortnight if he is to prove McEnroe wrong.

The US Open champion started unconvincingly against Brazil's world No83 on Court Suzanne Lenglen, needing two attempts to serve out the first set 7-5 in more than an hour. Sa had lost his only previous match at Roland Garros and held a 4-17 career record on clay, but he was Hewitt's equal for much of the match.

"I think I can get a lot better," said Hewitt, who spent last week practising in Paris due to Australia's absence from the World Team Cup. "I feel like you've got to try to get through the first few rounds here, and if you can keep it going and try to sneak into the second week, then anything can happen. You can hit form at any stage, and I think you saw that at the US Open."

Only from 0-2 in the second set was the top seed able to raise his level slightly, yet he still generally struggled for penetration off the ground, and on serve - he managed just 50per cent of first serves - and virtually equalled Sa for unforced errors, despite the urgings of an eight-strong entourage that included coach Jason Stoltenberg and new trainer Mark Waters.

Even when Hewitt broke serve in the third game of the third set and seemed primed to close out the match, he was immediately broken back by the determined Brazilian, who refused to let his higher-ranked opponent dictate play. In the end, Hewitt won 7-5 6-4 7-5 just before the rain closed in, but it took 2hr41min and was decided by just a handful of important points.

None of which did anything to disprove McEnroe's theory that Hewitt's comparatively low-powered game is further neutered by clay, on which his sole tournament victory came in 1999 on the quicker green version used in the US.

"To me, Hewitt, he's got a game you think would be good on clay," McEnroe said. "But he doesn't move as well on clay and he doesn't hit as heavy a ball, which becomes more evident on clay than it does on hardcourt, because he can counter-punch on a fast court and use his speed, whereas on clay his normal shots don't have as much weight.

"I think clay is his worst surface. I think he's got a better chance to win Wimbledon than he does the French. He just doesn't hit it heavy enough, doesn't get enough spin on the ball.

"All these great claycourters really hit with spin and power and that's the big difference on clay. [Hewitt] hits the ball a little flatter, which helps him on a hardcourt, but his strengths off the ground really don't translate to great claycourt tennis."

Venus Williams was the first to coast into the second round when play began, the slow conditions and a practice program limited by her suspect wrist failing to block her progress against Germany's Bianka Lamade.

Williams won 6-3 6-3, while other seeds to advance to the second round included defending champion Gustavo Kuerten, 2001 finalist Alex Corretja, ninth seed Thomas Johansson and Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco.

Meanwhile, Pat Rafter is to formally withdraw from Wimbledon this week. A London newspaper also quoted Peter Rafter as saying he believed his brother - whose first child is due in July - would like to return to the circuit but "I don't know if he could handle the grind of travelling". "It's getting to the crunch stage," he said, "because if he stays out for too much longer, he will have been out of the game too long."

Spaniard Felix Mantilla has withdrawn from Roland Garros, joining Marcelo Rios on the sidelines because of injuries suffered in a car accident on Tuesday.

Hewitt strides past Sa

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt had to fight off a spirited Andre Sa to reach the second round of the French Open with a 7-5 6-4 7-5 win.

The Australian was given a stern test in the opening set as his counter-punching tactics proved ineffective in the windy and overcast conditions.

But Hewitt, finally drew blood in the 12th game and never looked back.

"It's tough when you don't put your claycourt shoes on for 10 months a year and then have to whack it in the build-up to the French," said Hewitt.

"You're up against guys who grew up on clay and choose to play most of the year on the surface.

"For me it just takes time to get my rhythm right when I'm up against these players.

"If I can sneak into the second week, then anything can happen."

Hewitt will now face either Russian Andrei Stoliarov or Jonas Bjorkman, of Sweden, in the second round.

Earlier, defending champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil disposed of Switzerland's Ivo Heuberger 7-5 6-2 6-2.

Gamewatch: Kuerten v Heuberger

He will face either Julian Knowle of Austria or Italy's Davide Sanguinetti in the second round.

Elsewhere, American Todd Martin had a marathon victory over Argentina's Martin Vassalo Arguello 6-2 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-5.

And 30th seed Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands also made the second round with an easy 7-6 6-0 6-1 win over Ivan Miranda of Peru.

Sweden's ninth seed Thomas Johansson scored a comfortable 6-2 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 win over Argentine Franco Squillari.

And Spain's Alex Corretja, seeded 18, was equally untroubled in disposing of Czech outsider Bohdan Ulihrach 6-1 6-4 6-1.

Hewitt advances

www.news.com.au
27may02

PARIS: World No.1 Lleyton Hewitt struggled at times before advancing to the second round of the French Open with a straight-sets win over Brazilian Andre Sa.

The 7-5 6-4 7-5 win was anything but easy for the top seed who was several times forced to rescue multiple break points against the unseeded Brazilian, who has never been ranked higher than No.79.

Hewitt managed to get only 50 per cent of his first serves in compared to Sa's 53 per cent and double-faulted four times to Sa's three, but served five aces to Sa's one.

The see-sawing match lasted 2hr41mins, with Sa going desperately close to forcing Hewitt to a fourth set.

They had met once before, on grass in Brisbane in the 2000 Davis Cup semi-finals.

Hewitt won then, too, but considerably more comfortably than today.

He was in trouble early, forced to rescue five break points before winning his first service game on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Sa sent Hewitt sliding around the clay, with the South Australian at one stage losing his footing completely and hitting the ground.

But Hewitt recovered and looked on track to take the first set easily after breaking Sa to lead 5-4.

Sa, however, had other ideas, breaking back immediately as Hewitt was serving for the match.

Hewitt broke Sa again but had to defend four break points to take the set.

Sa broke Hewitt to take a 2-0 lead in the second set.

The turning point came midway through the set when, with Hewitt at the net, Sa slammed over a drop shot which should have beaten the Australian.

But Hewitt angled his racquet perfectly to return the shot out of Sa's reach and went on to break Sa to love.

Even in the final set, Sa threatened to force a fourth, taking Hewitt to deuce before the Australian finally secured his second round berth.

Rain began to fall shortly afterwards and halted play on all courts.

Top seed Hewitt gets a claycourt workout

Nyree Epplett
Monday, May 27, 2002

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt opened his 2002 Roland Garros campaign on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Monday with a plucky triumph over gritty Brazilian baseliner Andre Sa 7-5 6-4 7-5.

It was just the workout that the 21-year-old Hewitt had craved coming into Roland Garros - a drawn-out two-hour, 41 minute dual that forced him to hone his baseline game on the rich red clay, his not-so-favourite surface where he aims to become the first Australian male to win the title since Rod Laver in 1969.

Amidst cool and breezy conditions and temperatures that hovered around the 14-16 degrees Celsius mark, the steely world No1 (sporting a new short and spiky haircut) overcame a shaky start to snatch the opening set in just over an hour.

Sa skated freely between the sidelines in the opening games, dissecting the nervous Hewitt's game with some heavily spun groundstrokes that glided onto the chalk with ease.

The Brazilian overwhelmed Hewitt with his power and precision, but couldn't maintain the momentum. His lack of big-match experience soon became apparent as he floundered nine opportunities to break the Aussie's serve in the first set.

Hewitt kept his head, seized the moment and pounced on a number of short balls from his rattled opponent, drawing a spate of unforced errors. He tweaked his service game, unleashed a series of trademark 'C'mon' cries and scrambled from side to side to trade groundstrokes. Hewitt broke the Brazilian twice in the first set - at 4-4 and then at 6-5 to take the set.

Drawing on the tank of physical strength he has recently topped up with new fitness coach Mark Waters, Hewitt powered through the second set in 39 minutes, despite trailing 0-2.

He continued to grind his way through the third, closing out the match when a Sa groundstroke floated long, just minutes before the skies opened up and the rain fell for the first time at 2002 Roland Garros.

Hewitt now faces either the Swede Jonas Bjorkman or Russian Andrei Stoliarov, in the second round.


Hewitt into second round in Paris -- loud and clear
By JOCELYN GECKER
Associated Press Writer
May 27, 2002


PARIS (AP) -- For future opponents of top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Sa offers some advice: Don't listen to a word he says.

Intense, dramatic and often his own loudest cheerleader, Hewitt isn't exactly quiet on court. Many of his winning points are followed by fist pumps and yells of ``Come on!''

It was that way throughout his first-round match over Sa at the French Open on Monday, a 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 victory that lasted nearly three hours.

``You can't let him get into your head, all these things he does,'' the 83rd-ranked Sa said. ``If I hear him, it means he won the point. I feel better if I don't listen.''

On-court noise wasn't the only distraction. Cloudy skies gave way to pelting rain and intervals of bright sunshine. Hewitt said the weather made it tough to concentrate on tennis and contributed to his slow start.

``It was tough conditions out there,'' the reigning U.S. Open champion said. ``One minute I felt like I was getting burned, the next minute I was ready to come off because it was getting too heavy with the rain.''

But he continued to slug it out, slipping across the red clay. At one point in the first set, Hewitt dived to reach a passing shot but missed, sliding headfirst across the court. He took a moment on the sidelines to towel off before returning to the court and winning the game.

Though not a clay-court specialist, Hewitt has improved steadily on the surface, which suits his tenacious baseline game. This year, he's won 24 of 30 matches; his record on clay is 7-4.

``It's tough when you don't put your clay-court shoes on for 10 months a year,'' Hewitt said. ``I feel like it takes me more time to get used to the clay-court surface and get better on it.''

Most of Monday's match went game for game on serve. Hewitt won several points on his strong serve, but squandered many more with unforced errors, committing 57 to Sa's 59.

As Hewitt found his footing, he peppered much of the match by yelling at himself, and used his racket to slam the ground or whack his soles.

Though the 21-year-old Australian's style might rub some the wrong way, few would deny that his rise to the top of men's tennis has been impressive.

After winning the U.S. Open, Hewitt finished 2001 as the youngest-ever men's No. 1. It was the first time in the history of the ATP rankings that an Australian finished the year on top. There have been other record firsts.

In 1997 at 15, Hewitt was the youngest qualifier in the history of the Australian Open. A year later, he won a title in his hometown of Adelaide to become the youngest tour winner since Michael Chang 10 years earlier. At the time he was ranked No. 550, which made him the lowest-ranked tour winner in history.

Advancing to the second round at Roland Garros helped to overcome at least one psychological barrier for Hewitt, who was also seeded No. 1 at the Australian Open but lost in his opening match -- a first at any Grand Slam since 1990.

Hewitt, who faces 125th-ranked Andrei Stoliarov of Russia in the second round, doesn't see himself as a favorite in Paris, but remains optimistic.

``You have to try to get through the first few rounds here,'' Hewitt said. ``If you can keep it going and try and sneak into the second week. Then anything can happen.''

Hewitt in the red corner
By Linda Pearce
May 27 2002

If Lleyton Hewitt were a film character, he says, he would be either Sylvester Stallone's Rocky (but we knew that) or Russell Crowe's Gladiator - not for their size and strength but for their determination.

Yet at least Hewitt's old favorite Balboa fought on canvas; Maximus Meridius had to make do with Roman dirt.

The crushed red brick known as terre battue will host Hewitt's French Open charge over the next fortnight, starting against the Brazilian Andre Sa, and there is little doubt he would prefer a different stage.

The South Australian is the top seed at the year's second grand slam, but Roland Garros has so often proved to be a great leveller for all except the quintessential baseliners, whose skills are maximised.

Hewitt's has already been an undulating year. Chicken pox struck him down in January, disabling him in the first round of the Australian Open against Alberto Martin. Since then he has taken an extended rest, returned to health to win consecutive hardcourt tournaments in San Jose and Indian Wells and reached the Miami semis, losing to Roger Federer, before shifting to clay.

In Europe, a semi-final loss to Gaston Gaudio in Barcelona has been the 21-year-old's best result, splitting comprehensive early losses in Monte Carlo and Rome to 1998 French champion Carlos Moya.

In Hamburg, his final preparatory event, Hewitt was hampered by strained side muscles in a 6-3, 6-1 quarter-final thrashing from Marat Safin, the powerful Russian (Apollo Creed?) he is seeded to meet in the final in a fortnight.

Whether Hewitt, who has spent the week practising in Paris, can get to the last Sunday is another matter. Rod Laver was the last Australian man to triumph at Roland Garros, and he did so 33 years ago. Pat Rafter's 1997 semi-final appearance was the best of the recent efforts, and Hewitt's quarter-final loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero last year was as far as he has gone.

Yet his standout performance remains the Davis Cup quarter-final in Brazil last year, when he did not drop serve in nine unblemished sets of quite astonishing claycourt tennis against claycourt master Gustavo Kuerten and friends.

"You only have to look at Brazil to see that Lleyton's got the goods," says Tennis Australia's general manager of men's tennis and former player, Peter Johnston.

"In one way, you wouldn't be disappointed that he's lost, say, early in Rome, because you don't want to have too many matches coming in. The danger with doing too well on the claycourt circuit is that you just don't have any gas left in the tank by the time the French comes around, so I think it can actually work in his favor.

"The only thing that's going to hold him back is just that there are so many good claycourters in the world, and it can be how your draw pans out. He's got all the weaponry to win on clay but look how many Argentinians and Spanish are in the top 100, and this is their world championship, so that's more the problem, rather than Lleyton himself."

Certainly, Hewitt could have done without the presence of Moya, Guillermo Canas, Albert Costa and even a less-than-fully-fit Kuerten in his quarter, but the early rounds appear not to have brought too many horrors. This could be just as well, because Hewitt admits he did not even see a real claycourt until his first overseas tour as a 14-year-old with an Australian junior team.

"Clay is probably the surface I can still learn most about; the sliding, the movement, the structure of the points," he said recently. "I think (the French Open) is within range. Whether it's this year, though, that's a big question."

Already regarded as one of the game's best movers, Hewitt believes that under new coach Jason Stoltenberg, an accomplished all-court player, his game will develop further on clay over the next two-three years. He has already spent extra time on strength work since splitting with Darren Cahill last December.

"I know I've got areas to work on," he said in Hamburg, where the side strain apparently hampered his service most of all. "I'm only 21, and in the years to come I can't see why Roland Garros can't be even maybe my favorite grand slam. At the moment it's still the US Open and Australian Open."

His frustrations were apparent in last year's fourth-round struggle past Canas, who led Hewitt two sets to love in a match remembered more for Hewitt's politically incorrect lashing of chair umpire Andreas Egli and $2000 fine for verbal abuse.

This year, they have already bubbled over in Hamburg and, more dramatically, in Rome, where he lobbed a ball at the umpire's chair and earned a code violation and point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. That tournament, he admitted, was "not a great move forward for the French Open".

Yet in Hewitt's favor is his newish status as a grand slam champion. "He can go in there with a real expectation that he can win, and I think he has got that aura around himself on the circuit at the moment, that he is where the bar is, and he can carry that through," Johnston said.

"And that aura becomes stronger in grand slams. The guys who win the majors are the ones who know what majors are about, and in three-out-of-five set (matches) now, Lleyton knows where the finish line is."

And so, by the time the French Open tape is breasted on Sunday week, the usual upsets will have been completed, Pete Sampras will have left empty-handed once more, and Hewitt's resilience and resolve will have been tested to the utmost.

Just like Stallone's Rocky, who always prevailed. And Crowe's Gladiator, who did not.

Can Hewitt court clay?
By Bill Scott
May 26 2002
www.theage.com

Trust Yevgeny Kafelnikov to ignore diplomacy and speak his mind.

The man who unsettled Australians by describing a Brisbane Davis Cup venue as a potato field and bemused them by crying poor at the Australian Open, has injected a dose of realism into the burning question of the French Open. Can Lleyton Hewitt win a grand slam tournament on clay?

Kafelnikov's recent form may have been erratic, but the 1996 French Open champion knows what it takes to win on the red dirt. And he believes Hewitt is not ready to win the French Open.

Hewitt will arrive at the elegant Roland Garros venue in Paris as the top seed by virtue of his world No. 1 ranking, but his form has been patchy and he is a long way from completing his project of building a better claycourt game.

SportsTab has Hewitt listed as a $9 fourth favourite - Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andre Agassi and Gustavo Kuerten are rated higher - and, while no top player is prepared to count him out, Kafelnikov was perhaps the most honest.

For him, Hewitt was born to a different kind of tennis, one that emphasises the fast-reflex style needed for grass, Rebound Ace or cement, rather than the patient, rallying wars of attrition that characterise the European game.

"Hewitt's game is not that effective on clay as it is on hardcourt," said Kafelnikov. "On clay you have to generate your own power and that's not his strong point."

"You have to work the points. It's not at all like the faster surfaces. Hewitt is still among the top contenders, but I think it will be difficult for him to play as well on clay as he needs to."

While the heat of an Australian Open can destroy players, the mental and physical fatigue built up in a five-set clay match can be just as draining.

Winning the French is the tennis equivalent of running a marathon, with specialists like the Spaniards and South Americans prepared to make a meal of a match, happily taking the two or three hours that a long French lunch requires to digest an opponent on court.

"Winning seven matches in a row is not easy," said Kafelnikov. "He (Hewitt) has had decent results on clay this spring, but he hasn't beaten any top-quality players, like Moya. To win in Paris you have to be able to beat guys of that calibre. I don't think Lleyton has shown that he's able to do that yet."

Fellow Russian Marat Safin gives Hewitt more of a chance. "He's No. 1 in the world and everyone knows he's a big fighter," said Safin. "No matter what happens, he's dangerous on the clay."

Safin is prepared to bow to the wisdom of the rankings in the case of Hewitt. "He's really tough and he knows how to play tennis. He may not have any really good results on clay this year - he lost to Moya twice and I beat him in Hamburg - but you know a match against him could go for five sets. He's prepared to run for four hours. You always have to be careful against him."

Pete Sampras, who has yet to win the French Open, calls Hewitt "a serious threat".

"The conditions in Paris are a little bit quicker than Rome or Hamburg," said Sampras. "Lleyton moves well, competes well and has all the shots. He's one of the strongest in the field.

"When you're the top seed at a slam, you're automatically one of the guys to beat."

Hewitt's clay highlight this season was a semi-final in Barcelona last month, where he lost to eventual winner Gaston Gaudio of Argentina. He lost to Moya in Monte Carlo and in Rome, both times on courts made heavy by rain, and was beaten in the quarter-finals in Hamburg by Safin.

Hewitt has had to deal with an injury niggle in the Roland Garros run-up, revealing this week that he had suffered a side strain during the loss to Safin.

"I don't think anyone noticed," he said. "It's no excuse though. I'm sure I can bounce back for Paris."

Few of his rivals doubt his legendary drive. Despite a toning down of the fist-pumping that put many opponents off, the will to win burns brighter than ever.

"He has a big heart, that's one of his strongest qualities," said Swede Thomas Enqvist, the 1999 Australian Open finalist. "It can take him a long way. Anyone who moves as well as he does and has the shots, he could do well in Paris."

Enqvist said that Hewitt could also be a nightmare for the Spaniards if he's on his game. "He's the kind of guy that a lot of clay-courters do not like to play. He goes to the attack instead of staying back as much. With his attitude, the chances are wide open.

"He's a pretty good all-rounder even though he stays more on the baseline than guys like (Roger) Federer (the Hamburg champion) or (Tim) Henman, who attack a lot. Hewitt's game can still be very effective against specialists."

If he needs a quick jolt of confidence, Hewitt need only look back to his career-shaping Davis Cup win on clay in Brazil last year against three-time Paris champion Kuerten. That result showed the Australian that he has the game to compete with the elite on the surface. Just a month-and-a-half later he lost to Ferrero in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.

Fellow young guns Tommy Haas and Andy Roddick also rate Hewitt for Paris. "It's too early to say who the favourites might be," said Haas, the Rome finalist against Agassi. "Of course, you can't count Hewitt out of any event. But to win on clay, especially at a grand slam, you have to play very consistently.

Roddick added: "Everyone has a chance and that certainly includes Lleyton . . . You can't count Lleyton out of any event he enters. I don't think clay is his favourite surface but he can certainly be a threat."

Hewitt must overcome injury and great expectations in French Open
May 25 2002

Lleyton Hewitt is gaining in confidence on clay.

London: World No1 Lleyton Hewitt begins his French Open campaign next week battling side strains and the weight of expectation.

Hewitt struggled through his quarter-final loss to Russia's Marat Safin in the Hamburg Masters a week ago after straining his side muscles.

But he's confident he can recover in time for the red clay of Roland Garros on Monday - where he will be Australia's first top seed since Rod Laver in 1969.

Laver went on to win the grand slam event that year and Hewitt is also hoping to.

But Hewitt admits the sore muscles have cramped his style.

"I don't think anyone noticed," he said of his pain during his 6-3 6-1 loss to Safin.

"It was mainly during the service but it had an influence on everything. It's no excuse, though. I'm sure I can bounce back."

Much will depend on whether he avoids a run of claycourt specialists in Paris. Last year Hewitt won 11 matches on clay and lost five.

But beating three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten on clay in his native Brazil during a Davis Cup tie last year has given Hewitt new belief.

"He owned [Kuerten] by the end of that match," Davis Cup coach Wally Masur said. "It was an unbelievable effort."

Hewitt made the quarter-finals in Paris last year, his best effort in a grand slam championship outside his US Open win that September.

This year, he has shown a growing liking for clay surfaces, making the semi-finals in Barcelona and the quarter-finals in Rome.

"Wimbledon and Paris are my main objectives," Hewitt said. "I'm a little short of match play and I intend to concentrate totally on the tennis.

"I couldn't train much. But I consider myself a better claycourt player now than in previous years. You can't be at 100 per cent all the time."

The Australian is followed in the men's seedings by Safin, German Tommy Haas and 1999 champion Andre Agassi.

Australian Scott Draper has been given a wildcard in the men's singles draw, while Christina Wheeler was given one in the women's and Evie Dominikovic was called up when five players withdrew.

 Tennis Australia has welcomed planned reforms to men's doubles events.

At next week's French Open ATP officials will discuss a move to halve the number of pairs that play at their nine events.

"Tennis Australia would support some sort of re-formatting for doubles," a spokesman said.


Hewitt handed tough French Open draw
By Francois Thomazeau

PARIS (Reuters) - Top men's seed Lleyton Hewitt faces a tough first week at the French Open as his quarter of the draw is by far the most difficult of the Paris title favourites.


In the women's draw, the Williams sisters will not meet before the final after Serena and Venus were drawn in different halves.

Australian Hewitt, the world number one, was handed an easy first opponent in little-known Brazilian Andre Sa but things will quickly become a lot tougher for the U.S. Open winner.

Hewitt has no less than three past winners in his quarter of the draw - Spaniard Carlos Moya, veteran American Michael Chang and Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten - plus former world number one Pete Sampras and fellow-Australian Mark Philippoussis.

Defending champion Kuerten meets Swiss Ivo Heuberger in the first round. Fourth-seeded American Andre Agassi, champion in 1999, has an easier task than Hewitt, meeting a qualifier in the first round.

In-form Swiss Roger Federer, who faces a tricky first round match against Moroccan Hicham Arazi, and Spaniard Juan-Carlos Ferrero - the most two successful players on clay this season - are Agassi's main rivals in the third quarter of the draw.

Second seed Marat Safin of Russia will play against the French crowd and wild card entrant Michael Llodra, one of French tennis's big hopes.

Another great French prospect, 16-year-old Richard Gasquet, faces a daunting task in his first Grand Slam tournament when he plays Spanish claycourt specialist Albert Costa.

The clash between Australian Open winner Thomas Johansson and former French semifinalist Franco Squillari is probably the highlight match of the men's first round.

In the women's draw top seed and title-holder Jennifer Capriati is certain to meet compatriots for two rounds at least, starting with Marissa Irvin in the first round.

Serena Williams, seeded third, plays Martina Sucha of Slovakia in the first round and big sister Venus, the second seed, starts against Bianka Lamade of Germany.

For the first time, 32 seeds were awarded for the French Open draws. French Federation president Christian Bimes said the new system would be reviewed at a meeting of the grand slam committee next week