Chang support gives Hewitt legs
Leo Schlink and Digby Beacham
09jan04

LLEYTON Hewitt's Australian Open campaign was saved by an American ankle support popularised by French Open winner Michael Chang.

Hewitt's management company Octagon, which also managed Chang, provided him with the Kallassy support after he injured his left ankle and was forced to retire from a match in Los Angeles in 1999.

Hewitt, 22, has since worn the supports in every match and training session.

He said the device had saved his Australian summer.

The non-stretch lateral straps are said to resist excessive inversion, the most common ankle injury.

The strap was designed by athletics trainer Charles Kallassy, who says the medial strap supports the foot arch and resists pronation.

The strap used by Hewitt is of a stirrup, figure-eight configuration.

WORLD No. 2 Kim Clijsters will almost certainly withdraw from next week's adidas International because of an ankle injury.

Clijsters required crutches to walk yesterday, 24 hours after bruising the bone at the back of her left ankle.

The 20-year-old retired midway through the final set of her Hopman Cup singles rubber while leading Alicia Molik.

A report on Clijsters' website yesterday stated the injury was more serious than first thought, virtually excluding her from competing in Sydney and making an appearance at the Australian Open highly unlikely.

"Only if the swelling has diminished, will it be clear what really is the matter," the report said.

"Hopefully Kim will be able to lean on her foot after a couple of days of resting, medication and physiotherapy."

Australian Open chief executive Paul McNamee, who is Hopman Cup tournament director, said he remained hopeful Clijsters could take her place in Melbourne.

THE United States edged closer to a Hopman Cup final showdown with Australia after defeating France in a Group A tie at the Burswood Dome.

Lindsay Davenport proved she was far more advanced in her preparation than she envisaged when she accounted for Amelie Mauresmo 6-4 6-4.

Partner James Blake capitalised on the win when he outclassed Fabrice Santoro 6-3 6-4.

Davenport and Blake then teamed up to rout the French, claiming the mixed doubles 7-5 6-1.

The win means the US, seeded No. 1 in its title defence, will advance to the final and play Australia tomorrow if it beats Russia this morning.

"I feel like I need more and more matches to get better and better," Davenport said.

"I was a little bit rusty yesterday and I thought I was a lot better today."

Davenport only started to practise again in December following foot surgery.

Blake overpowered Santoro with his heavy first serve. While he managed just six aces, he won many free points as 71 per cent of his first offerings found their mark.

Molik will play: McNamee
By Tom Wald
09jan04
AUSTRALIA'S No.1 female player Alicia Molik is expected to be fit for Saturday's Hopman Cup final despite injuring her foot last night.

Tournament director Paul McNamee said the big-serving South Australian would be right to play despite retiring from her match last night and not playing in the mixed doubles against the Slovak Republic.

"She is not going to play in the mixed doubles because she wants to make sure she is fit for the final because Australia has already qualified for the final," McNamee said.

Molik was the second player at the tournament to suffer a potentially serious injury after world No.2 Kim Clijsters of Belgium damaged her ankle yesterday.

World No.36 Molik was leading Daniela Hantuchova by a set and 3-0 when she pulled out of the clash in Perth.

It was the same foot which finished her 2003 season - but McNamee said Molik was confident of playing this weekend.

"She is a little scared, it was the same situation she felt like it was when it happened before, not bad, but like, and an early warning sign and then she hurt it (last time)," McNamee said.

"As a pre-caution she felt she should not risk it because Australia is in the final."

Molik retired from her match against American Chanda Rubin in October in Luxembourg and last night was just her third match since the European event.

Hantuchova said Molik told her after the match it was the same foot she had problems with late last year.

The timing could hardly have been worse for Molik who has been in sparkling form at the mixed teams event.

Molik had defeated world No.40 Petra Mandula of Hungary in her opening match and forced Clijsters into a third set in which the Belgian also retired with an injury to her left foot.

She was on track for her sixth win in her last seven singles matches at the Burswood Dome.

Molik's demolition was disrupted while leading 2-0 in the second set and she had her left ankle strapped during an injury time-out.

Two points later she ripped off the strapping before going on to win the game and withdrawing from the match.

The 22-year-old South Australian enjoyed her best year in 2003 in which she climbed to 34th place on the world rankings.

She won her first WTA tournament in Tasmania.

Former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt then defeated Karol Kucera 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 in more than two hours.

Hewitt raced through his opening set in the later match taking just 26 minutes against Karol Kucera.

Kucera however provided more resistance in the second set before the former US Open and Wimbledon champion lost a tie break after saving three set points.

Hewitt blew a match point of his own in the tie break before wrapping up the match in the third set.

The Slovak Republic won the tie 2-1 due to the mixed doubles walkover.


-Townsville Bulletin

Injury Scare For Aussies 8 January 2004
 

Australia’s Alicia Molik is under an injury cloud as she prepares for the Final of the $1-million Hyundai Hopman Cup international mixed teams championship being played at Perth’s Burswood Dome.

Molik had to retire in her clash with Slovak Republic’s Daniela Hantuchova when she suffered a recurrence of a troublesome foot injury.

Molik was leading 6-3 and 3-0 when she conceded the match.

With Australia already confirmed as a finalist in the official ITF teams event, Lleyton Hewitt then defeated Karol Kucera in three gripping sets, 6-2, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 in a match that lasted 129 minutes.

The other finalist will be decided in the final round-robin session on Friday when top seeds and tournament favourites the USA play Russia, who kept their hopes alive with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.

Clijsters-Hewitt 'love doubles' ends with dramatic twist

By Linda Pearce
January 8, 2004 - 12:04AM

In place of yesterday's scheduled "love doubles" at the Hopman Cup came a distressing end to the tie - and possibly the summer - for Kim Clijsters. The world No.2 is in doubt for the Australian Open, having injured her ankle in the opening match of Belgium's much-hyped encounter with Lleyton Hewitt's Australia.

Clijsters was diagnosed with "acute soreness" of her left ankle after being forced to retire two points into the sixth game of her third set against Alicia Molik.

An MRI scan later revealed bruising on the bone at the back of Clijsters's ankle. Treatment will include rest, physiotherapy and anti-inflammatory medication.

"It will be reassessed, in the next 24-48 hours with regard to whether she could play next week in Sydney," tournament director Paul McNamee said late last night on behalf of Hopman Cup doctor Peter Steel. "The medical advice is such that they are cautiously optimistic that she will be OK for the Australian Open. There's some room for optimism there. If it was more serious, she'd be out of everything."

Clijsters, though, has withdrawn from Belgium's last match tonight, guaranteeing the undefeated Australians a finals place.

Australia had their own brief injury concerns yesterday, a double disaster only being avoided by no more than the width of Hewitt's ankle guard. Extraordinarily, the former world No.1 rolled his own left ankle at a similar stage of the third set against Xavier Malisse, but made returned after courtside treatment to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Hewitt received further attention from cup physiotherapist Anthony McEvoy before returning for a mixed doubles exhibition against Canada.

"I went and saw her [Clijsters]; she was obviously pretty distressed at the time," Hewitt said after his singles match. "We're not quite sure how bad it was but it's obviously disappointing to happen a couple of weeks before a grand slam. So, touch wood, hopefully it's not as bad as it looked, and I'm sure she's going to be praying the next couple of weeks that she'll be able to play the Australian Open."

Clijsters was clearly in trouble when, having uncharacteristically failed to chase down several balls during the fifth game of the third set, she removed her shoe at the change-of-ends to reveal an untaped left foot, pinching the Achilles tendon area. McEvoy strapped the joint during an injury time-out. She returned gingerly to the court but was visibly restricted for the next two points before walking to the net to concede the match to Molik.

"As soon as you see Kimmy Clijsters not chasing a couple of balls, I knew something was up. I didn't know exactly what was wrong," said Molik, who saved four match points in the second set tie-breaker to force Clijsters into the fateful decider.

"I've had a couple of injury timeouts and a couple of breaks last year and it's never fun, it's that fear of the unknown, you never know how much damage you've done, you never know how long you're going to be out for. The Australian summer's coming up, the Aussie Open's not far away, so it's mixed emotions. I know how it feels."

Although yet to win a grand slam singles title, Clijsters was sure to be seeded second and among the favourites for the Australian Open, starting on Monday week.

Hewitt, at least, ended the day with no major ill-effects.

"I was lucky I was wearing my ankle braces, otherwise I'd probably be out of the whole Australian summer, I think," said Hewitt.

"I felt it twist pretty badly and the ankle braces actually controlled me before I fell over, which was a good thing, and it just felt weak afterwards when I started putting pressure on it, so I just made sure I got it taped. Hopefully I'll be right. I've been wearing them [ankle braces] since '99 when I did my ankle pretty bad in Los Angeles against [Andre] Agassi, and I guess little things like that can sometimes change your luck."


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/08/1073437354667.html

Injury turns love match sour
January 7, 2004

LOVE turned to pain for Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters when she was forced out of the Hopman Cup mixed teams international tennis tournament with an ankle injury here Wednesday.

The world number two women's player had to retire in the third set of her women's singles match against Australian Alicia Molik after failing to respond to courtside treatment.

Tournament organisers said later the injury was an acute soreness of the ankle and Clijsters had been taken for a precautionary scan to assess the damage.

Shortly after, her new fiance Hewitt suffered a similar fate, rolling his ankle in the sixth game of the third set of his match against Xavier Malisse and also requiring courtside treatment.

But the Australian managed to play on and appeared comfortable playing with strapping and an ankle guard to win the men's singles 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 against Xavier Malisse.

Belgium then forfeited the mixed doubles giving Australia a 3-0 win in the tie.

The doubles encounter had drawn widespread attention and a crowd of more than 8,500 to the Burswood Dome with the promise of a head-to head love-match between Clijsters and Hewitt.

The injury also left a cloud over Clijster's immediate playing commitments in Australia.

The Belgian, who is chasing her first grand slam singles title, is scheduled to play in a tournament in Sydney starting Monday next week before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open from January 19.

Hewitt said Clijsters had been deeply upset by the injury and it was not clear yet if she would make the Australian Open.

"I went and saw her and she was obviously pretty distressed at the time," Hewitt said.

"We're not sure how bad it was but it was obviously pretty disappointing to happen a few weeks before a grand slam. Touch wood, hopefully it's not as bad as it looked."

Of his own injury, Hewitt said he was lucky he had been wearing an ankle brace while playing.

"I was lucky I was wearing my ankle brace otherwise I would have been out of the whole Australian summer," Hewitt said.

"I felt it twist pretty badly and the ankle brace actually controlled me before I fell over which is a good thing. It just felt week afterwards when I started putting pressure in it.

"So I made sure I got it taped and hopefully I'll be right."

Hewitt also required treatment after the match but was expected to have played in the mixed singles match which did not eventuate.

Clijsters had shown impressive form in her first match of the tournament defeating Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 6-2.

She and Molik shared a set apiece when Clijsters blew four match points in the second set tiebreak with the final score 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 2-3 when Clijsters retired.

Top seed and reigning champion the United States was scheduled to meet France later Wednesday.

Agence France-Presse

07 Jan 2004 07:20

Hewitt guides Australia towards Hopman final
By Ossian Shine

PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Lleyton Hewitt dug deep to guide Australia towards the Hopman Cup final on Wednesday, after his fiancée Kim Clijsters had earlier defaulted her match against his partner Alicia Molik.

Belgian world number two Clijsters quit after hurting her left ankle while leading Molik 6-3 6-7 3-2 and was taken for a "precautionary scan" according to tournament director Paul McNamee.

Hewitt followed Clijsters onto court and recovered from a loose first set to beat her Belgian compatriot Xavier Malisse 3-6 6-1 6-2.

In an ironic twist, Hewitt also needed treatment after turning his left ankle in the third set of his match, but after applying additional strapping he continued and completed the victory.

"I was lucky I was wearing my ankle braces otherwise I'd be out of the whole Australian summer I guess," Hewitt said as he left the court.

"It felt weak after it but I was alright."

With Clijsters unable to take part in the eagerly-anticipated "love match" mixed doubles against her fiancé, Australia were handed a 3-0 victory.

"I saw Kim afterwards and she was pretty distressed," Hewitt said. "I guess she will just be hoping she can make the Australian Open later this month."

The win all but guarantees Australia a spot in Saturday's final of the A$1 million ($0.772) ITF mixed team competition.

Australia leapfrog Belgium to the top of their group having won all six of their matches so far -- three against Hungary and a clean sweep over the Belgians.

Later on Wednesday the top-seeded United States face fourth seeds France.

Clijsters set to confront her beau at Hopman Cup

By Linda Pearce
January 6, 2004

A holiday game favoured by Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters is doubles, played against family and friends, left-handed. Away from the court, their competitive weapons of choice are often yahtzee dice, flung in spirited contests that continue late into the night in hotel rooms around the world.

In the more serious practice environment, it is to Clijsters' enduring frustration - and admiration - that Hewitt rarely makes mistakes. Although she can rally well enough from the back of the court, the difference is most marked on the serve and the return, meaning that Clijsters' best chance of victory against her partner of four years comes in a quasi-tiebreak without serves.

Yet Clijsters also acknowledges the contribution her regular training with Hewitt has made to a career that last year carried her to No.1 for 11 weeks, a tour-high nine titles from 15 finals and the semi-finals or better in 20 of her 21 tournaments.

The only blemish on her record, grand slam failure, is one she wants badly to correct, but it seems there is a more pressing ambition for the year ahead.

"Just to try to get the wedding organised, I guess," Clijsters said jovially after yesterday's successful start to the Hopman Cup, a huge diamond glittering on her left ring finger. "No plans yet, that's what we have to think about. So a lot of things come into it, but we just want to focus a little bit on the tennis first."

Indeed, the Belgian's local connection provides the ideal environment for an assault on the Australian Open, starting on January 19. Since early December, Clijsters has been working with Hewitt and his coach, Roger Rasheed, doing footwork drills, gym and sprint training, all the while acclimatising to more than just Rebound Ace ahead of the year's first major.

"I came pretty close a few times last year," said Clijsters, who lost the French and US Open finals to compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne, becoming the first woman in rankings history to reach No.1 without winning a slam. "And that's what I was training for in December . . . so that I'd be fit enough to give myself another chance to go far at the grand slams."

Yet her previous Australian Open visit was not one to savour, Clijsters blowing two match points and a 5-1 lead in the third set of her semi-final against eventual champion Serena Williams to fall short once more. For all her phenomenal consistency, it is the 20-year-old Clijsters' occasional mental fragility under pressure that has drawn the most criticism.

There was neither pressure nor danger, yesterday. The world No.2 took 40 minutes to monster former world No.8 Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-1, anchoring Belgium's 3-0 defeat of the Slovaks with help from enigmatic Xavier Malisse, who survived a routine concentration lapse to beat Karol Kucera 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

Belgium will provide Australia's stiffest opposition for the finals place to be earned in group B, yet there is no contest for the honour of the most hyped pool match at Hopman Cup XVI: tomorrow morning's sold out encounter in which Hewitt and Clijsters will be opposed on the mixed doubles court for the first time. Their best result as a team was an appearance in the 2000 Wimbledon final.

"It will be interesting," said Clijsters. "People have been asking me, 'what do you think is going to happen?' I've never been in that situation. I think I'll just have to focus on Xavier next to me and not focus on who's standing in front of me.

"I think everyone knows [Hewitt] doesn't have that many [weaknesses]. I've practised with him a lot of times and he just doesn't make any mistakes, which for the opponents can get a little bit frustrating, so I know that I don't have to get frustrated if it doesn't go my way."

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/05/1073267965436.html

Early signs look promising for a rebuilt and revitalised Hewitt

By Linda Pearce
January 5, 2004

In the past five weeks, Lleyton Hewitt has been surprised by Pat Rafter, awed by Greg Norman, betrothed to Kim Clijsters and vindicated for a sabbatical gamble that helped deliver Australia its 28th Davis Cup.

He has also trained and practised with his customary zeal, the former world No.1 returning to the court yesterday with his new-year optimism and determination at their peak.

Virtually since his career nadir, last year's humiliating first-round loss to qualifier Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon, Hewitt has set himself to play more aggressively, as he did during yesterday's slick Hopman Cup opener against Hungarian Attila Savolt. Far bigger occasions and better opponents are to come, of course, but the early signs were most encouraging.

Hewitt may now have won just three matches in more than four months - all in non-ATP events, and at great cost to his computer ranking - but the flipside is that he is also unbeaten since the US Open. Time away from the tour has its advantages, and the 22-year-old has used his tournament break to strengthen both his body and his resolve to play more attacking tennis, and more often.

"Probably trying to be a little bit more aggressive, I think; that's probably the last five or six months, not just the last couple, but it's trying to consistently do that, and you've got to keep doing that in practice," Hewitt said after yesterday's 6-2, 6-2 rout of world No.175 Savolt, whose foot injury cruelled any remote prospect of an upset.

"Sometimes it doesn't all pay off, but in a couple of my biggest matches in the Davis Cup it did pay off in both of those. Today, even though I hit a couple of unforced errors, I still feel like I'm pushing and dictating points a lot more. Off the court, trying to get a little bit more strength, I guess, and my fitness has always been pretty good, but trying to take that to another level."

Since laying the day-one foundation for the Davis Cup final success he claims compensated for his personal grand slam disappointments, Hewitt has taken just two weeks off during his Australian Open preparation, barely allowing himself a further day off since his brief dalliance with the golf tour early last month.

He has pushed himself through Adelaide's hot spell under the supervision of coach Roger Rasheed, acclimatising for the extreme physical demands of the Australian Open. In the interests of maximum match practice, Hewitt has booked a full January schedule that takes him from Perth to Sydney en route to Melbourne Park, where he has never passed the fourth round.

Davis Cup and the grand slams are his stated priorities again this year and, although Hewitt's ranking has slid from first to 17th, he belongs in single figures and seems certain to return there before long. "I know how good I can play if I play my game," the two-time grand slam winner said with the confidence of old.

Hewitt is also sure there will be no singles comeback for his friend Rafter, booked to play an exhibition against Mats Wilander in Townsville on February 2 and the recipient of unexpected doubles wildcards into the AAPT Championships and the Australian Open in partnership with Josh Eagle.

"I knew about it a little while ago. I guess you're a little bit surprised," Hewitt said. "It will be interesting. It's good for tennis, I think, in one way, but they're going to get a little bit more of Pat Rafter and then he's going to not play again, so it's going to be a little bit disappointing, I guess, for the crowd to see him once or twice again and then not get to see him again."

The Norman experience, which he described as the "chance of a lifetime", was one he will cherish. "He's got an amazing presence . . . I've never been around anyone with a presence like that," Hewitt said. "It was a true honour to actually be walking alongside him, and you see the game of golf in a totally different way. Not only the game of golf but little things that walking down galleries you don't get to see."

The Burswood crowd yesterday witnessed a 3-0 sweep of qualifiers Hungary by an Australian team comprising 36th-ranked Alicia Molik, fresh from her best year on the circuit, and the freshened-up, bulked-up Hewitt, renowned for his ability to find his rhythm and touch so quickly that it seems he has never been away.

Molik conjured a great escape against Petra Mandula, recovering from 2-5 in the second-set tie-breaker to close out the match 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. The South Australian tore a muscle in her left foot in October, prematurely ending a year that began so successfully in Perth and Hobart, the site of her first WTA Tour title almost 12 months ago, and had limited her practice in recent weeks on medical advice.

"It's been a while since I've played a set, let alone three sets, so it was pretty scratchy out there but a win's a win," Molik said. "It's just good to be out on the court and feeling healthy for a change; I've had a pretty big lay-off.

"There's no problem now; it's pretty much fine, but I just haven't got the amount of sets and match practice in me that I would like, but that's what an event like this is for. Hopefully I can give myself the perfect preparation going to Sydney next week and then the Aussie Open."


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/04/1073151212523.html

Hewitt promises more aggressive stance

January 4, 2004

A beefed-up Lleyton Hewitt pledged to maintain his campaign of sustained aggression after opening the year with a straight-sets demolition of unheralded Hungarian Attila Savolt at the Hopman Cup in Perth today.

The fiery baseliner skidded from the top of the world rankings to No. 17 last year after taking on a limited playing schedule and failing to win a grand slam for the first time since 2000.

Some critics suggested Hewitt, 22, could not handle bigger serving opponents such as Andy Roddick and Roger Federer and that his counter-punching style was being found out.

However, the South Australian's inspirational performances in the Davis Cup semi-final and final last year proved he was far from washed up as a world force.

Hewitt has added four kilograms in strengthening his upper body in recent months in a clear attempt to improve his power.

He said he wanted to dictate matches and was prepared for an increased number of unforced errors.

His comments came after dismissing world No. 175 Savolt 6-2 6-2 in 54 minutes today as he started his preparations for his greatest remaining goal - winning the Australian Open - which starts in Melbourne on January 19.

"Probably trying to be more aggressive, I think that has probably been the [aim over] last five or six months, not just the last couple," he said.

"But it is trying to consistently do that and you have to keep doing that in practice and sometimes it does not all pay off.

"But in a couple of my biggest matches in the Davis Cup it did pay off.

"I thought I was pretty aggressive out there today so even though I hit a few more unforced errors I am still pushing and dictating points a lot more.

"Off the court, my fitness has always been pretty good and I am trying to take that to another level."

Hewitt's win secured victory for Australia in the opening tie at the mixed teams event before Wednesday's meeting with Belgium and the enigmatic world No. 55 Xavier Malisse.

"Xavier is a very tough player," Hewitt said.

"I think everyone knows that if he is switched on that he can have a great day, but then again he can have a couple of horrors as well."

Compatriot Alicia Molik earlier pinched a page out of Hewitt's guide to great escapes with a 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win over Hungarian Petra Mandula.

The 40th-ranked Mandula had world No. 36 Molik on the ropes in the second set, leading by a set and 4-0 in the second-set tiebreak before the Australian charged back into the match.

She started taking advantage of some errant shots from the Hungarian and by set point just needed to put the ball in play to force a third set.

After struggling in her first match in two months, Molik grew in confidence and won 16 of the last 19 points to down the deflated Mandula.

Molik faces the much more arduous prospect of taking on world No. 2 Kim Clijsters on Wednesday at the Burswood Dome.

Hewitt again avoided questioning over his match-up in the mixed doubles with fiancee Clijsters.

She plays her first match of the year tomorrow against Daniela Hantuchova when Belgium plays Slovak Republic in the morning session.

Frenchwoman and world No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo take on Russian and No. 7 Anastasia Myskina in the evening, while former US Open champion Marat Safin meets Fabrice Santoro.

Santoro, who has never broken into the world's top 20 in singles, curiously has a 7-1 edge in previous battles over the mercurial Muscovite.

AAP

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/04/1073151211153.html

Hewitt to face Savolt
January 3, 2004

LLEYTON Hewitt's first opponent of the summer will be world No.175 Attila Savolt after Hungary won its Hopman Cup qualifying tie against Canada in Perth today.

The Europeans clinched the last berth in the eight-nation event by winning the mixed doubles 3-6 6-1 (10-3) in a match tiebreak against the North Americans at the Burswood Dome.

Savolt will play former world No.1 Hewitt in Australia's opening tie tomorrow, while world No.40 Petra Mandula will provide a stern opening test for South Australian Alicia Molik, ranked 36th.

Hewitt defeated Savolt in their only meeting in the third round of the 2000 French Open, but said yesterday it would take a little while to find his form after a five-week break from competition.

"I have played Savolt once before on clay," Hewitt said.

"He likes to attack a lot and he had his best year, I think, last year.

"But if I go out there and play as well as I can ... it's always going to be a tough first match of the next year on a new surface.

"But if I can go out there, I'm sure I can hopefully wrap it up."

Savolt said he was carrying a foot injury but was confident of being able to play out the tournament with the assistance of medical staff.

He was defeated by world No.201 Frank Dancevic 6-4 6-3 win today as the Canadian teenager forced the deciding rubber.

Molik, meanwhile, will be returning from a foot injury and looking to rediscover her giant-killing form from the last Hopman Cup.

It laid the platform down for her hot summer form which included her first WTA title in Tasmania before reaching a career-high ranking of 34 last year.

Molik defeated Mandula in their only previous meeting in 1999 in Kuala Lumpur in three sets.

Australia also has Belgium (Kim Clijsters and Xavier Malisse) and Slovak Republic (Daniela Hantuchova and Karol Kucera) in group B.

The winners of the two pools meet in the final next Saturday.

Earlier today, Mandula opened her new year by defeating Maureen Drake 6-3 6-2 after dropping the first three games of the match.

The world No.40 said she struggled early on after having not played a match for two months.

"I was pretty nervous and I could not focus on the game," she said.

"I was only focusing on the crowd out there. I found my game and I played pretty good."

AAP

Cup win powers Hewitt

04jan04

LLEYTON Hewitt believes his recent Davis Cup success at Melbourne Park augurs well for his tilt at the Australian Open.

The former world No. 1 has never gone beyond the round of 16 in the opening grand slam tournament of the year.
But he feels his epic wins over Roger Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero in the semi-final and final of the teams event will help his latest assault to become the first Australian male to win the Open since 1976.

Hewitt came from behind against the accomplished Swiss and Spanish stars in front of a parochial home crowd as Australia marched to Davis Cup victory for the first time since 1999.

He will be hoping the public, with fresh memories of the victories, will get behind him when the Open starts on January 19.

"I've never really played probably my best matches there," he said. "I know it was only Davis Cup - it's not the Australian Open, but I've now played two of my greatest matches ever in there (centre court).

"So those memories are going to flash back as soon as I get in there, and I'll really go out there and try to attack it right from the start."

Hewitt begins his summer cam paign today in the Hopman Cup in Perth alongside Alicia Molik. They play Hungarians Attila Savolt and Petra Mandula, who defeated Canada 2-1 yesterday to clinch the last berth in the eight-nation event.

Love is a battlefield

DIGBY BEACHAM and JOHN THIRSK
04jan04

WEDNESDAY is D-day for Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters.

Not an early wedding, but an early showdown at the Hopman Cup in Perth.
When Australia and Belgium lock horns at the Burswood Dome, the way Hewitt and Clijsters play against each other is likely to shape the outcome of the tournament.

The winner of the Australia-Belgium Group B clash will almost certainly advance to the final to play either defending champion the US, France, Russia or the Czech Republic.

Hewitt will again be partnered by rising star Alicia Molik, while Clijsters' teammate will be enigmatic right-hander Xavier Malisse.

Molik was a revelation in Perth last year, eclipsing world No. 8 Daniela Hantuchova, No. 17 Silvia Farina-Elia and No. 37 Daja Bedanova, before falling to Serena Williams in the final.

She then ventured to Hobart and became the first Australian female in eight years to win a WTA Tour event.

Molik hits off in Perth with a career-high world ranking of 36.

Clijsters and Malisse, joining forces for the third consecutive time, will be seeking a change of fortune after having lost 2-1 to the US in their final pool encounters in the past two years, which allowed the Americans to advance to the final.

Hewitt, 22, and Clijsters, 20, have been the leading love match since declaring they were an item at the French Open more than three years ago.

They are regular practice partners and have played in mixed-doubles tournaments – the highlight being finishing runner-up at Wimbledon in 2000.

But this time loyalty will be tested when they are on opposite sides of the net.

"Australia-Belgium is already a sell-out and the mixed match is the one everyone is talking about," Hopman Cup tournament director Paul McNamee said.

"This tie is going to be very interesting because I think the result will come down to the mixed match and that one of those teams will go through to the final.

"Kim is really looking forward to this one because she was a bit disappointed Australia and Belgium were not in the same half of the draw last year.

"I spoke to Lleyton about it and he told me it was going to be really tough. He wasn't 100 per cent sure what to expect and not certain Australia could win.

"Both Lleyton and Kim know one another's game well but they'll be out there to win . . . I think whoever wins this tie will go on to the final."

Hewitt is making his third Hopman Cup appearance, his previous two ending in disappointment for entirely different reasons.

Two years ago, Hewitt was forced to withdraw after contracting chicken pox, while earlier this year he and Molik were eclipsed in the final by James Blake and Williams.

Williams, who was pencilled in to play in Perth for a second time, has withdrawn, but Blake is back and will be joined by former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, the hard-hitting Californian who has been to Perth twice and is on the comeback from foot surgery.

Not surprisingly, the US has been seeded No. 1, although Pool A appears tougher than Pool B.

Fourth-seeded Russia, despite having a weakness in doubles, is the wild card. Former world No. 1, volatile Marat Safin, is returning after a previous stint at the Hopman Cup and will be playing alongside current world No. 7 Anastasia Myskina.

Another talent from the Russian production line, Myskina has stormed into the top 10 on the back of victories at Doha, Sarasota, Leipzig and Moscow last year.


© Queensland Newspapers
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8313908%255E2764,00.html

Hewitt, Molik aim to go one better
By Russell Reid

LLEYTON HEWITT will begin a busy month of tennis when he and partner Alicia Molik try to go one better at this summer's Hyundai Hopman Cup.

The Australians, runners-up to Americans James Blake and Serena Williams last year, open their 2004 campaign tomorrow.

Molik and Hewitt clash with the winner of today's play-off tie between Canada and Hungary at the Burswood Dome.

South Australian Hewitt scaled back his tennis schedule last year to concentrate on Davis Cup and grand slam events.

But, in an indication that could change in 2004, Hewitt will also play in the adidas International in Sydney before the Australian Open, starting at Melbourne Park on January 19.

The former world No. 1 said his ranking had dropped to No. 17 because he had not played that many matches outside of Davis Cup commitments in the past three months.

"Apart from the last two Davis Cup ties, which were obviously a couple of big highs for me in my career, I haven't played that many matches," Hewitt said yesterday. "But it was awesome, I guess, taking those last three months off for the Davis Cup final.

"I know a lot of people questioned it but the people closest to me didn't question it at all.

"They knew what was best for me and it won us the Davis Cup, in a lot of ways, winning that first match against Ferrero."

Hewitt said he was not driven by an ambition to regain the No. 1 ranking.

"Not really," he said.

"I think if I put myself in a position early in the year, then I might have a crack at it."

Hewitt said he would like nothing better than to win the Australian Open.

"I've been going to Melbourne Park ever since it opened," he said.

V More, page 127Aussies buoyed

V From back page "I get goose bumps just going in the place."

Hewitt said he had never played his best matches in the Australian Open there.

However, he added: "I know it was only Davis Cup and not the Australian Open, but I have played two of my greatest matches ever in there.

"Those memories are going to flood back when I get in there."

Taking their place with Australia in group B will be No. 3 seed Belgium, the Slovak Republic and the winner of today's play-off tie.

Tournament top seed USA, No. 4 seed Russia, France and the Czech Republic make up group A.

thewest.com.au
 

Hewitt and Clijsters arrive as rivals

By Dave Hughes and AAP
January 2, 2004

Lleyton Hewitt will arrive in Perth today with Belgian fiancee Kim Clijsters to begin his summer campaign at the Hopman Cup ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne later this month.

Hewitt will team with fellow South Australian Alicia Molik for the third time in the competition. He and Molik proved a surprise success in last year's tournament in making the final, only to be beaten by the US.

Molik, in particular, showed outstanding form in the 2003 tournament with impressive wins over Silvia Farina Elia, Daniela Hantuchova and Daja Bedanova, her only loss being to Serena Williams in the final.

Former US Open champion Marat Safin is also due in today, the mercurial Russian paired with world No.7 Anastasia Myskina.

For France, world No.4 Amelie Mauresmo teams with noted doubles player Fabrice Santoro, while the US outfit is different from last summer's winning one, Lindsay Davenport replacing Williams next to James Blake.

Despite having foot surgery in mid-October, Davenport is still ranked world No.5. And fans sometimes underestimate the statuesque American because she is not one of the sport's glamour girls benefiting from multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns.

But what she is, is good. What she does, she does well. The 198-centimetre, 80-kilogram Californian has a thumping serve, a powerful double-handed backhand and a formidable return of serve. Indeed, Serena Williams said recently that Davenport was one of the few players who could still trouble her consistently, not only because of her relentless baseline power but her crafty placement.

Although Davenport seems the grand old lady of the WTA Tour, she's just 27, having turned professional in 1993 and wining her first significant tournament three years later: the Atlanta Olympic singles.

Two years later she won the first of her three major titles, the US Open, and within a month was world No.1. In 1999 she won Wimbledon and in 2000 the Australian Open. However, as success came, so did injuries to her back, wrist and knee.

Perhaps the Hopman will be the first step in reclaiming her pre-eminence.


This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/01/1072908852279.html