LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, his forehand's obviously his biggest weapon. But, you know, out there, especially towards the end of the first set when I was able to turn the match around from 5-3 down, his forehand was his actual shot that was starting to make more mistakes. His backhand was very consistent out there. His forehand was very good if it was in a slot.

If I was able to move him around and open up his forehand by going to his backhand a little bit, that's how I actually felt I was getting a lot more cheap points out there.

You know, so I tried to keep him on the move as much as possible.

Q. Did you ever feel threatened at all in the backhand-backhand rallies?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, he's got a good backhand. He doesn't make a lot of errors. But, you know, I back myself most times.

Q. How did it feel out there?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It felt all right. No, it felt pretty good. Felt heavy conditions out there today. Felt like there was a lot of -- a bit of moisture in the air, as well. Made it even heavier. You know, it was tough to hit winners out there, especially off the serves. That's why there were a lot of opportunities to break serves out there today, in both our cases.

You know, for me, I was just happy to get out of, you know, that third set and get off the court, you know, in a straight sets win instead of going to four, maybe five.

Q. Shaky start to the tiebreaker, then he gets up 6-3. You force him to play back in. He makes a few errors. You make the great backhand volley at the 6-All point, close it out. Did you think you were going to the fourth set? Did you still have confidence that maybe he'd make the error?

LLEYTON HEWITT: At 6-3, I was just trying to worry about getting my two service points. I felt like if I got it back to 6-5, I knew he was going to go for a big first serve and try and, you know, hit an ace or an unreturnable. He ended up missing the first serve. I got a look at a second serve. He made a soft error. I was going to play the percentages. I wasn't going to give him a cheap point.

At 6-All, I felt I was in good shape. Hit a good forehand, came into the net, put the pressure on him.

Q. What were your expectations coming into this tournament?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I didn't really put any pressure or goals on myself at all. You know, I came here, you know, hoping to do well. You know, you never know with this tournament. I think there's, you know, so many times you can have so many tough matches in the early stages of the tournament, you could wear yourself out towards the end.

You know, draws open up. So for me, I was just taking it a match at a time, just worrying about who my next opponent was.

Q. You said last year when you were beaten by Robredo, you didn't know what you'd have to bring to your game to win the title here. Have you brought anything different to your game and is it something that can win you the title?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Don't know. I'm still a long way away from winning the title. For me, you know, I'm through to the quarters. I play Gaudio, who I've had some very tough matches with in the past. So, yeah, I'm not even thinking about the title right at the moment. Then again, I feel like I'm probably a little bit stronger out there at the moment. It's probably definitely helping more so on this surface than anything else.

Yeah, I just feel -- my preparation coming in this year, I was able to play a few more tournaments due to how I was feeling physically compared to last year. I think, you know, the more I play on this surface, the more confident I get.

Q. Can you give us your thoughts on having Tim Henman alongside in the quarters?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's great (smiling).

Q. Pleased for him?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Another English-speaking guy. There's not many guys in the locker room I can talk to.

No, you know, Tim plays well on this surface. You know, he's very -- you know, I think in the past, last couple years, I've seen him make I think the semis in Monte-Carlo a couple years ago, beat a lot of good clay court players. He's got an awkward game.

Not a lot of the typical clay court guys play against a guy like Tim Henman who plays that style of game. You know, it's good for him. For him to win matches here, obviously, you know, in another Grand Slam, probably the least you'd think favorite Grand Slam, performance-wise, with his game, it's a real good effort.

Q. But you obviously have a fantastic record against him. Is that because there's like the target with him coming at the net?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. You'll have to ask him (smiling).

Q. There's a player from Brazil in the quarterfinals and four from Argentina. You will play against one of them. Are you about to stop this "South American championships"?

LLEYTON HEWITT: There's a few of them, producing a lot of good players. I don't know what you feed them down there, but they're doing something right.

Yeah, they really play well, and obviously on this surface. They've grown up on this surface. The four Argentinians and obviously, you know, Guga, he speaks for himself. The Argentinians are younger guys, you know, on the way up, as well.

Q. You just spoke about not thinking about winning the title. When in your own mind in a Grand Slam do you start thinking, within your own thoughts, that you could win the thing?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I try to block it out as much as possible till, you know, you make the final, you know, for me. And even then, you know, you try and prepare as though it's just another match. But it's very hard to block out, you know, that you're playing for a Grand Slam title.

You know, it's been the case in, you know, at Wimbledon and the US Open I think when I've, you know, gone through. I think I haven't tried to, you know, do anything special, start focusing on my chance to win this title. I've tried to block it out as much as possible.

Q. Pretty good at doing that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Paid off those two times.

Q. You said you've had some tough ones against Gaudio. Can you be more specific? What do you recall of individual matches or events that were tough?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I played him last week in Dusseldorf, 7-6 in the third. I played him in Monte-Carlo in the second round. Saved a couple of match points, ended up getting out of it in three sets. I've had some tough matches. This is his best surface.

You know, he's very confident on this surface. So, you know, I got to go out there, you know, and stay aggressive and play my game and, you know, stay confident out there.

Q. Your patience on the court, particularly in the long rallies, has been exceptional in this tournament, particularly today against a player with this kind of speed who can hit the ball in so many ways. Do you ever remember grinding this well in the previous French Opens that you've played? Do you ever remember having this much patience on the court?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, probably not in, you know, the other French Opens that I played. I think this is the best so far, you know, patience and being able to grind it out. You know, I think there's been a lot of other tournaments, though, where I've been very patient out on the court.

But, you know, French Open-wise, this has probably been the best.

Q. Does that come about from being older and having more experience or has something else changed for you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. I just feel nothing's really changed, I don't think, that much. You know, I feel confident out there. I believe in myself, you know, I believe in my ability that I can match it with the best guys on this surface.

You know, I guess playing a few more tournaments, having some good matches under my belt, you know, including Dusseldorf last week against some worthy clay court players, you know, I think, you know, just to have that in the back of your mind more than anything.

Q. Is Gaudio the type of guy who in the past has given you more problems than, say, Verkerk or Malisse? Is he someone you feel is more of a challenge in style of play?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, they all propose a big challenge, I think, you know, especially at this stage of the tournament. You know, he's a different player to Xavier, and obviously a different player to Martin.

You know, Martin gave me as much as I could handle a couple of days ago. So, you know, it's not going to be any easier, but it's going to be a different, you know, type of match.

Q. You were in the quarters three years ago. Can you compare the two stories, the player you were then and the player you are now?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think I'm a lot better player on clay overall now, day in, day out. Back then I think I played some good matches on clay. In the Round of 16, I came back from two-sets-to-love against Canas three years ago, had to finish the match the next day, and basically had very little in the tank to play Ferrero the next day - who was too good anyway for me on that occasion.

So I feel like I'm a better player now than I was then, and more experienced obviously on this surface.

Q. How much is being a two-time Slam champ and No. 1 play into how you're playing at the Slams, especially when other guys like Malisse comes up against you, tight spot in the third, looks like you're thinking you can still win the set and he's starting to doubt himself when it gets tight?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, well, you know, I guess I know that I've been there and done it before. I've been in, you know, a few second weeks of Grand Slams, and come through them on a couple occasions. You know, I think, yeah, knowing that you've been in those situations and you've been able to get through them, that's always at the back of your mind.

Whether that's in the back of my opponent's mind, I'm not sure. But, you know, I think that's my attitude more than anything, as well, that never-say-die attitude out there.

Q. Has that changed at all for you in the last couple years, being it will be two years at Wimbledon since you last won a Slam? When you've gone into every Grand Slam since then, have you had more doubts than when you were dominating?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I haven't had any doubts, you know, going in. You know, I felt like always the French Open I think, you know, it's probably more open or, you know, I've never been, even when I was at No. 1 in the world, I wasn't one of the big favorites, I don't think, to win this title. And I'm probably a better player now than I was a couple years ago on this surface, I think.

You know, but I haven't had any more doubts I think going into Grand Slams at all.

Q. Do you remember the last time you blistered while on court?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I can't remember.

Q. You don't tend to blister at all?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. I got some callouses.

Q. Do you take any precautions about blistering during the course of the season?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. The blisters are -- you can't do much about them really. They pop up. It's just a bit of bad luck.

Q. In the third set, Malisse had seven chances to break. He gets only the seventh point. What made the difference in the tiebreak? Was it your mental ability or was it just luck?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, I just, you know, tried to hang in there more than anything. You know, 6-3 up, I knew, as I said before, I just had to try, you know, for me try and get through those two service points, get it to 6-5, at least make him think about it at 6-5 serving for it, that he's wasted two previous opportunities, and this could be his last set point.

Yeah, he got a little bit tight on that point, then I played a good point at 6-All, put the pressure on him, was able to win it on my serve.

Q. First two sets, you played steady. He made a ton of errors at the end of the first set. You got away with that. Easy second set. Third set, he started hitting the lines more. How confident are you that you can go from defense to offense when you want to?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I felt confident out there. You know, I didn't have a lot of opportunities in the third set to break him as much as I did, you know, the end of the first set and throughout the whole second set. I felt like I was really on top of the match at that stage.

The third set, to his credit, he came out and played better again. He played like he did at the start of the match. But I felt like I was able still -- I just needed to hang with him and take my opportunities. You know, you get to a tiebreak, and anything can happen - like it did.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I felt like I played well. I felt like I played better than I did in my first round.

He's an awkward player to play. I played him in Hamburg for the first time. He mixes it up. He mixes the pace up. He hits a lot of dropshots. He's a left-hander, as well, so obviously the serve is a little bit different.

Very good to get that first set under my belt. Obviously beat him in straight sets in Hamburg, keep that momentum going from that first one. Good to come back from 4-2 down in the first set.

Q. Every time you broke him, he broke you almost straight back. Was that a concentration thing or something your serve is troubling you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, it's pretty much only the once I think in the third set that he broke me straight back after I broke him in the second set, but I was able to break him again and hold it out.

No, I don't think -- you know, I could have served definitely better out there. Probably didn't get as many first serves in as I would have liked. But, you know, I felt like I mixed it up well. The breakpoints that I was down, you know, throughout the first and second set, I was able to get out of them. I felt like I served well on the big points.

Q. Are you feeling better for the fact you played more on clay leading in than you have in the past? Do you think it's made a difference to you to where you are right now?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I feel pretty confident where my game's at at the moment. This time last year actually, even though I lost to Robredo, I felt like the first two sets in that match were the best tennis I ever played on clay, when I won those first two sets.

I feel confident maybe overall more, maybe moving a little bit better on clay this year purely because I've spent a little bit more time on it.

But, yeah, every time I come to the clay court season, I think it's always going to take me a few weeks to get to my best.

Q. Just talk about the difference between the third and fourth sets, how you were able to turn that around, walk away pretty easily in the last set?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I didn't feel like there was a huge difference out there. I had breakpoints in the first game of the third, and the third game of the third set. I actually felt like I was really getting on top of him there. He came up with some big serves. I think he came up with a net cord on one of the breakpoints there. I actually felt like I was holding my service games a lot easier at the start of the third set.

You know, I went up a break in the third set. Didn't do that much wrong. He came up with a couple of big shots. You know, probably just didn't quite stay as aggressive as I could have at the 5-4 game when I lost my serve to lose a set. Then again, he came up with some big shots. He really had nothing to lose after being down two sets and a break.

I felt like it was important, any time I got those breakpoints early in the fourth set, to take them. I was able to do that early on and sort of roll on with it from there.

Q. How much is coming to the net helped you on clay? You had pretty good percentages, it's a grind on clay, play a lot of points from the back. But shortening points and closing things out during a tournament of this length, how big is that?>

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's obviously a good way to win points a little bit easier, instead of staying out there grinding. I still feel it's an area of my game I can still work on and get better at.

You know, it's a lot easier I think doing it in practice, you know, then when you got to get out there and do it in the match. Especially in Grand Slams, it's a little bit tougher to make yourself do it all the time.

But I feel overall, I'm doing a little bit better than I've done in the past.

Q. How do the Slams for you compare? Which one is the toughest? Clay is a different surface for you. You must have a lot of pressures on at the Australian, the US Open is always a tough grind. How would you rank them?>

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, obviously the clay court, I think, being at the French Open, to win seven best-of-five-set matches on clay is probably one of the toughest for me personally. For a lot of other guys like Ferrero, it's a little bit easier than the other Slams. So everyone is different.

The other three, I'd say, are pretty similar. Wimbledon you can probably get, you know, some easier draws now and then. But a lot of the clay court specialists are a lot better than grass these days, playing from the back of the court, than they used to be. You know, so there's still some opportunities to get through I think some easier matches, you know, maybe at Wimbledon than you can here, depending on the draw. I think there's so many tough players. Every round is tough here, lucky losers coming through, qualifiers, whoever.

Q. Just the grind of seven clay court matches is the toughest than the distractions of New York or what you have in Australia?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, obviously playing your home Grand Slam, you know, there's always expectation. Yeah, you're on center court a lot more I guess every match. That's something -- after I've played it seven or eight times, you come to deal with that, though. I've played enough Davis Cup matches home, it doesn't really faze me too much.

Q. Hanescu was up a set and a break. Can you talk about the prospects of him in the next round, if it is him?>

LLEYTON HEWITT: If I play him, I played him once only, I think in the US Open first round, night match, last year. He's a tough players. I think he's probably better on clay than he is on hard court, as well. He's had a lot of good wins just before that time I think when I played him, and a lot more since then. He's got a nice backhand, very smooth from the back of the court for a big guy. Obviously, his weapon's his serve.

Q. If it is Verkerk?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I played Martin last week in Dusseldorf, had a very tough match with him. 7-5 in the third. Yeah, he likes playing at this place. Especially last year, I'm sure he's got good feelings about coming in here. I've played him in Sydney on hard court, and I think he's a lot better player on clay than he is on hard court.

Yeah, it will be a tough match. In some ways, they both play a little bit similar games. Obviously, they like dictating play from the back of the court with their big groundstrokes. But, yeah, they can come to the net, and obviously their serves, as well.

Q. A few weeks ago in Rome, there was a hotel fire, luxury hotel. Could have been much more disastrous. That hotel had no fire sprinkling system. When you go into a hotel on the road, is safety a factor for you? Will it be in the future?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Probably more so now. You don't really think about it too much. I'm sure you guys don't think about it too much either when you're traveling, as well, until something like that happens.

It's like the September 11th thing, you don't think about planes, traveling, security, until that happens sometimes. You know, sure, I've spoken to a couple of guys. They were awfully close to...

Who knows what could have happened. I think you think about it a lot more after something like that does happen.

Q. Coming back to the match of today, he's Austria's No. 1, a lot of expectations on him, as well. He seems to be talented. He had you sometimes with his strokes. What is your opinion on his game? How far can he go?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, he's a good player. He's a very good player. He mixes it up very well. He's got a different kind of game out there. He's probably a little bit loose still out there, you know, on some big points.

But, you know, he's had some good wins, especially this year. I know he beat Henman in the first round in Miami. He obviously beat Safin and some guys pretty easily on clay in Hamburg before I played him. I think he's just going to get better and better.

He looks like he can play on all surfaces, too.

Q. Have you been made aware of the details of the US Open series program, the six-tournament buildup in which you can double your winnings at the US Open? Are you familiar with that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't know the whole details. I know enough, I think.

Q. The money involved, would that cause you to reassess how many tournaments you would play leading up to the US Open? How seductive is the money factor?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, for me personally, I wouldn't change my schedule. I'll do what I think's in the best interest of, you know, how I'm going to perform the best at the US Open for that fortnight. I'm not going to go out there and chase whatever tournaments it is.

So me personally, I won't be changing my schedule around the US Open series. But, you know, I think, who knows, if it's going to be a great success or not. I think the positive will be if we can get more television on -- tennis on television in the United States. From what I've heard, I think a lot more of the tournaments and finals especially are meant to be on TV live, which will be a lot better, I think.

Q. The first men's tournament on that series is LA. You've signed up for that tournament. What do you like about LA and California?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't know. The tournament, I've only played it -- the first time I played it, I actually made the quarters, twisted my ankle against Andre. I like the tournament. The night matches there are good fun, good atmosphere, good crowds there. Yeah, I just feel like it's a good place to start before the Super 9's, before the two Masters Series leading in. Played well there last year. I was unlucky not to win it.

Yeah, I like going back there. It's a smaller tournament, but it's a well-run tournament, as well.

Q. It seems you have the game to play on clay very successfully. What do you think is missing compared to your big successes on other surfaces so far?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I think naturally, you know, especially hard court, I think my game, you know, naturally I grew up playing on hard court. Grass, I had to adjust my game a little bit, I think. But probably clay more so I've had to adjust my game. It's going to take time. It doesn't come as naturally, as easy, I think, as the other surfaces. Plus some of these other guys, you know, they wake up and they train on clay every day of their life.

Q. Given that Michael Chang won, your games aren't completely similar, but wasn't big, no huge weapon, there's no counting you out of winning a title like this, is there?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I don't think so. I think Michael was obviously an exceptional player. I think the game's changed a little bit. You know, obviously with probably the power and that a little bit more. I think Michael beat Lendl in the final. Yeah, Lendl hit the ball extremely hard, from what I've heard from a lot of guys.

Yeah, I don't think with my style of game I can totally be counted out. I think there's a lot more clay court specialists these days, though, that are probably the favorites to win here.