2002 PACIFIC LIFE OPEN INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA 
March 17, 2002

Final  L. HEWITT/T. Henman 6-1, 6-2

An interview with:

LLEYTON HEWITT

MODERATOR: With his first career Tennis Masters Series title, Lleyton has now

won his 14th overall career title, and he also has won 18 matches in a row going

back to the US Open in the United States. Questions for Lleyton.



Q. How do you serve 46% serve in a set and yet dominate the set like you did in

the first set?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, wasn't all about my serve. You know, Tim couldn't do much with my second serve, so I was always in the point anyway. We were both a little bit nervous at the start, but then I sort of got on a roll. I've played
some big servers in the last few matches - Gambill, Sampras and Enqvist. I felt like I was in a good rhythm, seeing my returns and feeling it out there. I didn't give him any chance on his service game. I think that builds up with one of his main strengths. I was sort of taking it away from him a little bit out there.



Q. Can you talk about how satisfying these last two events have been, considering where you were in January?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's a bit of surprise really. You know, I worked extremely hard, a lot of hours on the court, in my backyard when I was able to pick up the racquet again after a few months off. Then to come out and to play the way that I have, you know, be mentally tough out there, you know, the fitness level back again, you know, it's a great feeling.



Q. How much confidence are you taking out there right now?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, a lot of confidence. You know, I step on the court and I believe I can win every time. That's a good thing to have, especially when
you're playing against guys the caliber of a Henman or a Sampras or, you know, Enqvist.



Q. How much more faith do you have in your shots than you did, say, nine months ago?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. You know, I still feel like I'm just about playing the same. I've just got that little bit more confidence. I think I've worked on areas of my game a little bit more which, you know, have come out in the big times, under pressure situations in matches, MVP conditions, rather than just practice now. Obviously, my serve has been one of those. You know, it's good to have, you know, something you can fall back on that you know you've been
on the practice court doing a lot, and it will come out in the matches.



Q. Obviously seven or eight months ago you'd had some fabulous results and some wonderful performances in Davis Cup. Now you've just been on an incredible run,starting with US Open, Sydney, two tournaments here. Are you in any way either
surprised or particularly impressed at yourself at how much you've emerged as a dominant player on the men's tour?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it's a little bit surprising I think for anyone to start doing it at the age of 20. But, you know, dominating, that's a big word. Yeah, I wouldn't say dominating. Yeah, I give myself a chance every time I step on the court. You know, I feel confident every time. You know, I have been playing strong in the big matches when it counts the last few months. It gets to
a big match, a big time sort of show-time match and it doesn't worry me at all. I go out there, I play with no fear. It is a little bit surprising, though, that
I've been able to win, this is my 14th title, in such a short time. It's good.



Q. You've had also big wins against Andre, incredible win against Pete, now Tim.
What player would you fear the most in a big match?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, there's no one I really fear the most. I take everyone
on the day really. I think it's a case of that because, you know, on a different day I think Tim's going to be extremely dangerous. Pete can be dangerous, you know, if he's serving big. Andre, he's always dangerous. You know, I think a lot
depends on the day with a lot of these guys, the conditions, the surface, stuff like that. But, you know, in the last few months, confidence as well has a big part to do with it, and I've had it against all the big guys. There's not one
player that I, you know, fear the most.



Q. Besides your serve, what else have you beefed up?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Just, you know, I've sort of just got my base there, my groundstrokes and that, just been consistent, something I can always fall back
to. If things aren't going right, I can always fall back to my solid game, which is, you know, just try and dictate points from the back of the court and, you know, not make too many cheap errors. You know, I've been able to do that when I had to. After I lost the first set against Pavel, I was able to go back to that and try and step it up again. It was really the only time I had to do it throughout the week, you know, when I was in a little bit of trouble.



Q. What does winning this tournament mean to you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It means a lot. You know, these tournaments are so tough, you know, as tough as slams. It's only the best-of-five set format is the only tougher part about a Slam. You still have to win six matches in seven days in this tournament. In this field, there's not too many players missing here. You go to some of the clay court Masters Series, or the indoors, and some of the top guys don't go. So you're playing a little bit weaker than a Slam, but not in this one. This is an extremely tough field. You've got to be playing well to win it.


Q. You're definitely the boss on hard courts now. Did you settle a game plan for the clay court season already? How far do you think you can go on clay?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I haven't set really any game plans. I feel like, you know, hard court is still my favorite surface at the moment. You know, it's hard not to be. But there's no reason why I can't do it within the next two or three years on clay, I don't think. My game suits clay. It's a matter of, you know -- growing up in Australia, we don't see a clay court. It's been a gradual process for me. I feel like the more bigger matches I play on clay, the better off I'm going to be. But, you know, obviously the main goal is the French Open, one day
to hold up that trophy. I think it's within range. Whether it's this year, though, that's a big question.



Q. You said two or three years. Do you think this year is a little bit early?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Could be. You know, obviously I've been getting better and better at the French, there's no doubt about that. But, you know, if I play like I did against let's say Guga in Brazil, if I play like that every match, then I'm sure I can win the French - I know I can. But whether this year's going to be the one for me to put seven matches together, best-of-five sets on clay against those caliber of players - Ferrero, there's so many good clay-courters - you know, I'm not quite sure if it's this year. But I'm going to give it a go
anyway.



Q. Do you think maybe sometime in the next couple weeks you're going to wake up and you would have actually lost a match or do you think this can go on?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I'll lose a match sometime. Can't tell you when it's going to be (smiling). You know, I'm just feeling -- as I said, it's a strange situation. I feel confident out there. You know, sooner or later it's going to stop. Someone is going to be better than you on the day. You know, won't be a huge set back for me anyway.



Q. Have you felt any better at any other time in your career about your tennis than you do today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Felt pretty good after winning the US Open and Masters Cup, getting to No. 1, you know, beating Guga in Brazil. There have been times when I felt as good. But, you know, when today comes, you can sort of look back at all the last ones, think, "Gee, I've done well over that period, held it up for that period." There's only been the one hiccup at the Australian Open. If you count
the two Hopman Cup matches, there's another two wins there. I feel great. If I didn't have the hiccup in the Australian Open, who knows what the situation would have been now or whether I would have had a chance of winning the Australian Open.



Q. You just mentioned some really special moments, US Open, No. 1, Guga. Is beating Guga in Brazil the most special or do I have that wrong?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's tough to beat your first Grand Slam, winning the Davis Cup in France, getting to No. 1, beating a guy, my closest mate on tour, to get to No. 1. They're all up there. I don't think you can really pinpoint one out. Obviously, winning a Grand Slam, the US Open, you know, the Guga match would have been better if it was in the final of a Davis Cup rather than a second round.



Q. I asked you the other day if it occurred to you that maybe you could go undefeated for the rest of the year. You dismissed the question by saying that
that would be awfully tough. Why would it be so tough if somebody is playing as good you did in this tournament?

LLEYTON HEWITT: The rest of the year - maybe through Miami hopefully. The rest of the year, I've got to go apply on clay, then I've got to play on grass. You know, sooner or later you're going to have a slip-up, I'm sure. That's why Sampras or Agassi's never done it either.



Q. Why are you setting your sights so low Lleyton?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah (laughter). No. 1, you should be able to play like that every day.



Q. Do you ever reflect back on the Roddick match at The Open, how close that was?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. You know, it was a big match. I felt like I played pretty well for the whole match. It was a great standard of tennis. It was a lot of emotion out there. You know, I felt like, you know, I gutsed that one out, got through it, went on. I played well from sort of the Round of 16 onwards. After the rain delay against Tommy Haas, I won the next three sets after
dropping that. I extended it right through. That was pretty much the start of it.



Q. For the standard of the tournament, do you regret that the final is not best-of-five?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it's hard to say. It's definitely disappointing I think just because I don't know if they've ever played best-of-three here or not.



MODERATOR: Since '84 it was the first time.


LLEYTON HEWITT: It's sort of been best-of-five for so long. What I've read, I think it's just for TV. It's strange waking up and playing at 10:30, as well. I don't think that suits both players. After trying to get up for a big semifinal, you sort of want to have a bit of a sleep-in, just calm everything down before going out there and playing at 10:30. It's tough. Sooner or later you have to
start looking at the players and what's best in the players' interest. I know TV is a big part of it, but you have to draw the line somewhere.



Q. You're not turning into a morning guy?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. I've been waking up early anyway. It wasn't a huge, huge problem for me. I played a lot of 10:00 matches actually this week.



Q. When you're so much into the match, do you hear anything from the sidelines?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. I hear Jason and Kim and my mate Hayden (ph), Kim's coach in the crowd, saying, "Come on." But nothing too special out there. I'm trying to block out most of the thoughts and just -- you're so into the match yourself that you really only hear your own thoughts going on inside your head anyway.



Q. That's a fairly unusual winner's trophy in front of you (referring to the Pacific Life Whale trophy). What are your thoughts about it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It looks nice. It's strange, saw it come out on the court. But, yeah, it's nice. It's unique anyway.



FastScripts by ASAP Sports.

March 16, 2002 PACIFIC LIFE OPEN Indian Wells, California L. HEWITT/P. Sampras 6-2, 6-4

An interview with:

LLEYTON HEWITT

MODERATOR: Lleyton advances to his second career Tennis Masters Series final, his first since Stuttgart 2000, and he's 3-0 up against Henman and 2-1 against Martin.

Questions for Lleyton.

Q. It seems like you're getting better every single match now.

LLEYTON HEWITT: It was tough playing out there today. You know, you can't really rate yourself too much on today's performance. It's sort of a little bit of a one-off. You've got to go out there and, you know, change your game a little bit, just play the percentages. You know, I had a windy day a couple days ago, and I think that helped. Obviously, Pete played in a lot of wind last night, as well.

But tough conditions out there. There was like gold stuff going across the court into our eyes the whole time. It was weird.

Q. He called you the best wind player in the game.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Hopefully we have a hurricane tomorrow then (laughter).

Q. Are you pretty comfortable playing in the wind?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, I just try and play the percentages a little bit more. I still believe that I can, you know, play sort of my style of game without changing too much.

But, you know, I think you can't go out there, you can't go for the big shots as much, you can't panic out, you've got to wait for the right balls. You can't go out there and serve big serves the whole time. You've got to get, you know, more placement percentage, stuff like that. I was willing to do that.

You know, there's a couple of times that I played in my hometown of Adelaide, it's been extremely windy during that tournament a couple times. Maybe that's helped me in the past, playing at the time big matches for me in windy conditions.

Q. He actually said you were the best wind player in the history of the tour.

LLEYTON HEWITT: It gets better and better, doesn't it (laughter)?

Q. You get heavy winds in Adelaide most of the time?

LLEYTON HEWITT: A little bit. Not a lot, actually. Yeah, not like that today. Actually, the two worst conditions I've played - the three now - have been here in America. I don't know where I really learned it from.

Q. Pete was saying that when you played him at The Open, it was pretty windy.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was a lot windier than people saw I think through the TV or also, you know, in the stadium. Down there on the court, it was, you know, sort of dug in, that center court at Flushing Meadows. It was swirling a lot that day.

I think we both struggled, both lost our serves first couple of games there in the final. It took us - especially me - probably the end of the first set for me actually to get my rhythm going and start returning really well and passing well.

I definitely thought about that match going into today's match. Just when the wind -- I knew when I warmed up this morning, it was going to be blustery out there, tough conditions. I tried to draw strength from those matches that I played at The Open.

Q. Did you feel you were in control all the way today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I felt pretty comfortable. It obviously helps when you get up an early break in the first set against a guy like Pete. When you get to the end of a set, he's done it so many times where it looks close at the end of the set, he just goes up that extra gear. He's got the kind of game that can do that. It was nice to get up an early break.

In the second set, I think I had chances, could easily have been up 4- or 5-Love. I had some breakpoint chances on most of his service games, yet he was still getting -- he was finding a way to get out of those games, you know, try and keep that pressure on me.

Q. How bizarre was it when the sign blew down?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It was weird. Yeah, I haven't had that happen to me too often.

Q. Why didn't you stop right when it happened?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, you can't. We played this game too long. You can't just stop the ball. You've got to wait till the umpire says something. If he doesn't call let or play to, you can't stop the ball, otherwise you'll lose the point.

You know, it was a tough situation. I spoke to the umpire after. He came up to me after the match. I apologized because he had to turn the mic off because Pete complained earlier because it was making the noises out there while it was on with the wind.

It was sort of too tough for him I think to get it on in time. Then he looks and we're sort of still hitting. I'm looking over at the umpire. He's looking back at the thing that was blowing over. It was a big debacle I think for one point.

But there's no point it should be called play to in that situation. It made a huge bang. It was a weird one.

Q. He said when he got up this morning he looked out the window, I assume the palm trees were waving, and he didn't like what he saw because he doesn't consider himself a good wind player. Did you look out the window and what were your thoughts?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I wasn't complaining. You know, I looked out and I saw the palm trees, you know, waving around a bit. It didn't worry me. It was a lot windier than I probably hoped for, though, because it's not probably enjoyable to watch, I don't think, it's not too enjoyable playing when you've got crap blowing in your eyes every second point. It's a tough situation. We just had to try and play through it as best as we could.

Q. Was it ever sandy enough on the court that it jeopardized footing at all?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really, no. Not too bad. It was more, you could see right from the word go, when I was in the warm-up, like gold stuff, specks coming across the court with the wind the whole time. That's a tough thing to play through, especially when you're down the far end, the wind is coming, you get it in your eyes, as well.

Q. You returned his serve about as well as anyone ever has. What's your approach?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, I just, you know, same as returning anyone's serve. I go in there and, yeah, obviously with Pete, he's got such a big serve, you've got to take short swings. I try and attack it as much as possible. I don't like getting too far behind the baseline returning it, otherwise it gives him that extra chance to get closer to the net as well when he's serve-volleying.

Q. Are you guessing where he's going to go with the first serve or do you have a pretty good idea or reacting?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Just reacting. You know, it's definitely not guessing. If I was guessing, I'd get a few more on there.

Q. There's some guys that serve so hard that you almost have to guess. With you, it seems like you're willing to wait till the ball comes over.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's pretty much just reaction at the end of the day.

Q. It's obvious that Pete's not getting any younger as the months go on. Could you assess how his game has changed now compared to the US Open?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's a tough day to assess Pete Sampras on today's performance because, you know, he said that he's not a big fan of the wind and the conditions we had to play in today.

I still feel, as everyone saw at the US Open, he's capable of beating the big guys back to back in a big tournament like the US Open. I don't think anyone can write him off or count him out, that's for sure. And I'd be the last person to do that.

You know, I've got so much respect for Pete, the way that he played those big matches against Andre, Pat, Safin, everyone at the US Open. You know, he was a real credit to himself I think because I think a lot of people had written him off.

Q. How do you feel about getting to the final? Is it a case of trying to keep the lid on it because there's still another match to go?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it is just another match today. I won't be going home and cracking open the champagne, that's for sure. It's great. You know, it's been pretty frustrating. I made a lot of semifinals in the Masters Series, haven't been quite able to make the finals. It's a good feeling to make one. It's been a long time, since sort of Stuttgart when I had had a chance to beat Ferreira in the final there. I was still pretty young at the time. I lost in a tight five-setter. I feel like I'm a lot better player now than I was then.

Q. Isolate Henman and Martin, look ahead to either one.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, both are going to be extremely tough. Tim, he mixes in the serve-volley with staying back. He's more patient than he used to be as well. He moves extremely well. He's got an all-court game.

Todd's got an all-court game, as well. He's got a probably bigger, more direct serve, probably more powerful than Tim. He mixes up serve-volleying, staying up as well. Todd's got great returns for a big guy.

Q. Is it pretty fair to say that the work you put in the last six weeks, everything is coming together, there aren't too many parts of your game you're concerned about?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I still feel like I can get better in little areas of my game. But it's nice to see that. Obviously, it's been a fair bit of time working on the serve, trying to get a high percentage in, serving to spots, to targets. I've been able to do that pretty well over the last couple of weeks that I've come back.

You know, that's a pleasing thing I think. You spend a lot of time out there grinding on the practice court before you come into the tournament, you haven't got that match fitness under your belt, you know, it's a nice thing to know that you can do something in practice and then take it out into the match court.

Qterfinal March 15, 2002 PACIFIC LIFE OPEN Indian Wells, California L. HEWITT/T. Enqvist  6-4, 6-4

An interview with:

LLEYTON HEWITT

MODERATOR: Lleyton improves to 32-4 since the beginning of last year's US Open. He's now won nine matches in a row for the 2002 season. It is his 9th career Tennis Masters Series semifinal.

Questions for Lleyton.

Q. We saw the softer side of yourself, when the ball hit the girl. You tried to play around the post?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I actually tried to go over the net (laughter). I miscued it. Thomas was obviously in a pretty good position, though, at that point. I miscued it a little bit. As it turned out, if it was a little bit wider, it probably would have gone around the post and close to in.

It was unfortunate, the angles, came off and sconned her.

Q. What did you say to her?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I just asked her how she was. She looked like she had a delayed reaction a little bit. First off it had hit her, I don't think she realized what had quite happened, then she probably felt the pain. I just asked her if she was all right. She said yes a couple times. I think she was trying to hold back the tears on national TV.

Q. Stats to one side, do you think you have Enqvist's number?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's hard to say, to have a guy's number who is such a great player and such an explosive player, as well. But I've definitely, you know, had the upper hand the last few meetings. I lost the first time in the final of Adelaide when I was defending after my first win. Then the next year I actually got him in the final, so that was a nice feeling. Since then, it's sort of been, you know, a little bit one-sided my way, which is nice.

I just felt confident. I felt like I saw the ball extremely well out there today. I was reading his first serves pretty well. I was able to move the ball around. I moved extremely well. It's just one of those matches that I played my game and maybe looked at a few areas of his game and it matched up well.

Q. The announcer on television said you had a walk of invincibility. What do you think of that comment?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. A bit silly maybe. A bit silly. You know, I feel good out there at the moment. I feel confident. I feel -- I'm just taking it one match at a time, though, because a couple of months ago I was feeling pretty ordinary. I didn't really expect to come back and play this well and have these kind of results straight off, and win - what is it - nine matches in a row now. Obviously, I'm getting more and more confident.

Fitness level-wise, I feel pretty good out there.

Q. Can you talk about the possibility of playing Pete again.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, well, you know, if I have to play Pete, it's going to be, you know, another tough match. You know, he's playing well. You can never write Pete off, that's for sure. And, yeah, he'll be probably looking to get some revenge from the US Open final, as well.

I just go out there and play my game, yeah, basically not worry about his game too much. I'm going to have to return extremely well, make a lot of balls back.

Q. Has not losing another match for the rest of the year crossed your mind?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not at all. It's a bit hard to do that.

Q. Do you think the break you had at the beginning of the year was, in a way, good because it took you off the game, your mind off the game for a while?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, it's hard to say. You know, it's frustrating as well, though. You know, maybe in hindsight, it may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, I don't know. It's hard sitting back and watching the Australian Open, and knowing that, you know, the way I was playing going into it, that I was a contender.

You know, getting struck by an illness a week or so before the tournament was disappointing to me. I felt like I really had good rhythm. I won both my matches in the Hopman Cup before I had to pull out of there. I really did feel good. But it was really only the sort of energy level that really hurt me.

Q. Do you feel in a way a little more fresher than the guys who played maybe more than you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. I spoke about it the other day. I feel like in some ways I like playing a lot of matches, being match-hardened. It's been tough the first couple rounds in both these last two events that I've played, you know, because you don't have that match fitness, that match toughness yet.

So I feel like I get better and better as the tournament goes on. And it's going to take a while to get that back after a three-month break.

Q. How far down the road do you think you are in this comeback to where you were at the end of last year, let's say at a hundred percent, as an example? Where would you say you are now?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, I'm playing pretty well. I feel like fitness level, you know, I haven't played a five-set match yet, but I've played, you know, an extremely tough final in San Jose which nearly went three hours, that's probably equivalent to, you know, most five-set matches. I'd say against Andre, I actually came out pretty well I thought at the end of that match. I had, you know, stuff left in the tank.

You know, it's hard to sort of rate yourself where you are because some days I'll wake up and I feel I have a bit more rhythm, playing better, seeing the ball better than other days. Today was a lot better, I think the best match I've played during the week, the last matches against Gambill and Enqvist.

Q. Would it have any special meaning for you to beat both Andre and Pete in a three -week period of time?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I don't even look who's up the other end. You know, a win's a win.

Q. Taking that a bit further, I know you get up for every match that you play. When it's somebody like Andre Agassi or Sampras, or that caliber, do you get up even more for those?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it's not something that I focus on, playing Agassi or Sampras, one of the greatest players ever to live, "We've got to get up for this one." I think you're up within yourself because you know you've got to be up playing those guys because if you're slightly off, they're going to make you look silly out there. They're that kind of players.

They're, you know, extremely tough. If you're not on the top of your game, you know, you can't go with those kind of guys. Some of the other guys you can maybe get through not playing your best tennis. With those two, you know, you can't.

But I don't think it's something that I think about, "All right, you've got to, you know, get up even further for this game." I go out there and I give everything I got every time.

Q. Can you talk about Rainer in case he does upset Pete today, Schuettler?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I've never played Rainer. I think he's one of the, you know, players who's probably improved the most. I think he started off really well in the tournaments in Doha, Dubai, stuff like that at the start of the year. He's a tough player. He made the semis I think last week in Scottsdale, so it's no surprise to see him do well here I don't think.

He's a totally different kind of player to Pete, though. He's very quick around the court, returns extremely well, big groundstrokes. But, you know, it will be a different match-up for me whichever one I have to play.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports...

3rd round March 14, 2002 PACIFIC LIFE OPEN Indian Wells, California

L. HEWITT/J.M. Gambill 6-2, 6-4
An interview with:
LLEYTON HEWITT


MODERATOR: Lleyton wins his eighth match in a row on the season. He's into the quarterfinals here for the second straight year. Tomorrow he'll take a 4-1 lifetime record into the quarterfinals against Enqvist. Questions for Lleyton.


Q. What goes through your mind when your opponent flings his racquet six games into the match?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's a good feeling. You know, he was very frustrated I felt right from the word "go." In the first game, he was up 30-Love. He hit two bombs. I got back to 30-All. I could already see the sort of frustration on his face at that point.
Yeah, it's a good feeling going out there and seeing that up the other end. You know, I'm trying to concentrate as much as possible on my game, my confidence, whatever out there. But, you know, if you can look over the net and see him getting frustrated at such an early point, maybe he's thinking about the last match we played a couple weeks ago in San Jose.



Q.Is that the quickest you got an opponent to throw his racquet?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, I don't know. I don't know. There's probably been quicker. Yeah, pretty quick.

Q.How satisfying is that when you consider that he had beaten you on three occasions out of the previous five you played?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's a good feeling. What is it, 3-All I think now. It's a good feeling. I felt like, you know, I was playing well, especially the Scottsdale final when I was pretty young. That was one of my first finals. I lost that one in a tight three-setter after a dodgey line call there.

Then I lost to him at Wimbledon where I thought he was just too good. I thought I played, you know, reasonably well, and he just outplayed me that day.

Then I lost to him in Miami last year where, you know, I had the momentum, and there was a huge turning point in that match where he hit a pass, scary pass, passed me on the run. Sort of changed the whole momentum of the match.

It's nice, I've been up the last two times, San Jose and Indian Wells, for the match against Jan-Michael. I feel like I've played some of my best tennis against him.



Q.Did you use the wind when you were serving? Didn't look like much of a serve.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Use?



Q.Your service.

LLEYTON HEWITT:What about it, though?



Q.Did you use the wind when you served? Didn't look like much.

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, a little bit. Not a lot, though. It was pretty windy out there again today. I just tried to concentrate on the basics. Placement against him, he's the kind of guy if you get it in the zone, he's a very good returner in the zone. Once you sort of get him in the body or moving, that's where he's more vulnerable.



Q.He had 30 approaches. Did he try to play you that way in San Jose or was that different?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. He changed his game. I think it probably even more so changed during the match out there. Once I got up that early break, you know, got the double break in the first set, he felt like he wasn't able to win that many points from the baseline. So he tried changing up his game. You know, I was aware of that. Yeah, it made him, you know, concentrate on trying to pound that first shot maybe a little bit more and getting to the net.

He's not the greatest net player around the game. When I did get, you know, in position to make a pass, then, you know, I felt pretty confident at times. You know, I think it did help his game though a little bit, sort of trying to attack and going for his shots a bit more.



Q.When you consider the disappointment of Australia, the time you had to take off, has it impressed you that you started to play so well so soon after the break, winning San Jose, the way you're playing here?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it's a bit of a surprise. Yeah, if I go back to, you know, how I was feeling, you know, the end of the Hopman Cup, that whole week leading into the Australian Open, pretty ordinary, lying on the couch, on your bed, in the hotel room, not being able to get out of the hotel room because you're a danger to everyone. You know, I was feeling pretty ordinary at the time.

You know, I've come a long way, I think, the last couple of months. I've put in a lot of hours on the practice court when I was able to, you know, go out and start practicing again. You know, Jason and I have worked a lot in the gym, on the practice court, as I said, just on little areas of my game. Trying to get that fitness level back up to where it was, was tough, but I felt like I was able to do it pretty soon afterwards.

It definitely held me in good stead in the Agassi match last week in San Jose. If I wasn't close to a hundred percent fit in that match, then I wouldn't have won. It's as simple as that.



Q.Can you talk about playing Enqvist tomorrow?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I lost to him the first time. I wasn't sure it was 4-1. Lost to him the first time. I got him the last four, apparently.

You know, he's a tough player to play. He's a little bit similar to Jan-Michael in a lot of ways. He's got an extremely big serve, got big groundies. He struggled with injuries the last, you know, couple of years. But I think he's back. You know, he's had a pretty tough draw here, playing Johansson first round, Federer today. He's come through it pretty comfortably.

He won a tournament I think in France a few weeks ago. Also chopped up the two Pommies in the Davis Cup tie to win it for Sweden. You know, he's had some good results. He's going to be extremely tough tomorrow.



Q.You were saying the other day about the fact that you like to play a lot. When you look at what's happened the last couple of months, you took a week or two off before the US Open, produced the goods over there. You had the time off earlier this year, produced the goods in the first two tournaments back. How do you explain that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I think when you take -- in some ways it's good. For me, especially, when I take that week off, you know, especially in this case, the first couple of matches I find the toughest. The first couple of matches in San Jose was, you know, extremely tough, trying to get back in the match.

You can play a lot of practice sets, as I did going into San Jose. I thought I was hitting the ball great. But, you know, just getting in that match situation with a little bit of pressure out there on the line, it was -- you know, that feeling was starting to come back. It was tough the first couple of matches. But as soon as I got on a roll, you know, as soon as it really hit the quarterfinals, it was business time of the tournament, I just got better and better.

So I think, you know, the break definitely helps in some ways. You know, maybe you're a bit sharper towards the end of the tournament. But I think it's maybe a little bit tougher at the start of the event.

Indian Wells, California March 11, 2002 PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

L. HEWITT/C. Moya
6-4, 6-4

An interview with:
LLEYTON HEWITT

MODERATOR: Lleyton wins his last 13 matches here in the US, going back to last year's US Open. He moves into the second round. Questions.

Q. Couple of moments there having to come back, breaks down in both sets.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's tough. I felt like the balls are flying a little bit more today rather than in practice because I felt it was a little bit hotter out there today. Just trying to get my control early on. Once I got on it, I felt like I played a pretty good second half of the first set.

Then Carlos sort of found his range a bit better with his forehand and his first serve. I didn't really have too much of a chance after getting the second break in the first set. And then I fought hard to get that break back in the second. Then I felt, you know, pretty much in control from there.

Q. Can you remember playing as a former world No. 1 in the first round of a tournament before?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I played him here two years ago first round.

Q. You as No. 1.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Me, no. I haven't had that many matches yet (laughter). Yeah, as I've said in the past, these Masters Series tournaments are extremely tough, especially, you know, I find this one of the toughest because it's such a small draw, but everyone comes and plays this one as well.

Sometimes on the clay, not everyone comes over, not all the top players go over and play those Masters Series. I find Indian Wells and Miami, everyone in the top 64 or whatever it is, top 60 in the world, so it's extremely tough matchups. You just sort of take it one match at a time, try and get through six matches.

Q. Are you beginning to really enjoy being No. 1 now, sort of getting any benefit from it in terms of any added confidence? You always played with tremendous confidence, as well.

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's nice to know that you're able -- towards the end of last year, I played so many big matches. In most of them, apart from probably the first day of the Davis Cup final, I was able to, you know, win most of my big matches.



I've got a lot of confidence going into it, no matter who I'm playing, really doesn't matter what surface now, I feel, you know, extremely confident. I feel like I can play my game and I can match it with, you know, anyone in the world.

It's a good thing to have when you go out there to play.

Q. Do you feel you've reached a stage in your game where you almost play on autopilot, you don't have to think about what you're going to do, it comes to you naturally?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, a little bit. But you always have your days when the timing is not quite there. Obviously, the start of the San Jose week, my first week back after a while, I didn't really feel like I was timing the ball that well at the start of that week. If I kept plucking away, trying to get through those tough matches early, sooner or later it would click. It did halfway through the week there.

You know, I sort of know my base now at least, the base that I've got. But, as I said, you know, sometimes it slips off and you have to work on little areas of your game.

Q. Have you done anything different with Jason or is it a question of carrying on basically what was a winning policy anyway?

LLEYTON HEWITT: A little bit different, but it's been a totally different situation. Normally, I come into these tournaments with a lot of matches under my belt. Normally I play heaps of matches in the Australian summer, a Davis Cup, I come in match-hardened.

This year it's a totally different situation for me to be in. We worked pretty hard in the gym just before. After I felt like I was nearly a hundred percent when I got home with my fitness, when I was able to get out and do stuff. Since then I've been working extremely hard on the court, little areas of my game.

I think it started to show last week. When I was playing the bigger matches, I started going out there and winning the match off my racquet. You know, I served extremely well at the end of last week.

Q. After the disappointment of having an early loss in Melbourne because you were sick, presuming that probably left you a bit stronger for this part of the season?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. It's hard to say because I'm the kind of person that I love to play a lot of matches as well and have that match fitness, that match toughness in. So I had to find other ways to try and get myself up to that fitness level where, you know, I just basically lost everything I'd sort of gained throughout the end of the year and the Masters Cup and the Davis Cup and the US Open last year.

I really had to go back to basics and just start doing strength work. I lost a little bit of weight. I had to start putting it on again.

You know, it was tough times at the start. But I felt like I've gradually built it up, built it up a little bit more every week. Out there I feel like I can go five sets, the distance.

Q. How far did you get down in your weight? Are you back up there again?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I haven't weighed myself for the last week or so. I think going into San Jose, I was pretty much back to it. I probably lost two or three kilos, that was about it. When I got back into it, I felt like I picked it up again pretty quickly.

Q. What do you regard as your perfect weight?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Probably around 70, 70 kilos. You know, over the next couple years, I don't know whether to pick it up even a little. A few more I think would be ideal.

Yeah, I still feel like, you know, I've got to No. 1, I've had an incredible run the last six months or so, but I still feel like there's areas of my game I can work on. You know, being 21, having so many years left in the game, hopefully, it's a great thing to have in your corner, to have little areas that you feel like you can even, you know, hopefully go up another peg.

Q. What do you do to put on weight?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I do a little bit in the gym. I don't lift that much. You know, not a hell of a lot. Just a little bit of gym work basically. Yeah, nothing, you know, no bodybuilding stuff.

Q. Your success in America, is that just coincidence or is there something about playing here in the States that really suits you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it's hard to say. I really like the American hard courts. There's no doubt about that. It suits my game, suits my style of play.

You know, I've always done pretty well, like in Scottsdale, I've done well in Indian Wells here last year, Miami I've made a couple of semis back to pack now. Obviously, the US Open a semi and a win.

You know, I think obviously the American crowds, as well, to me, I spoke about it last week in San Jose, they get very fired up, a lot of emotion. That's the kind of tennis that I play, as well. I like to get out there and get pumped up and play with a lot of emotion.

You know, when you go out there, I was telling you, San Jose, playing against Agassi in the final, we had a packed house. Even though everyone is not going for me, there's that electric atmosphere in there, whereas in the first couple early rounds, playing during the day, there wasn't the biggest crowds.

Q. Why did you take Scottsdale off?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I just felt like -- last year I felt it was a little bit tougher coming from San Jose, indoor tournament, then going straight into Scottsdale. I made it through to the semis of Scottsdale last year. Didn't really have to play in too much wind. Then I played Clavet in the semis. It was a blustery day. I just couldn't control the ball. I preferred to -- it was a little bit of hit-and-miss really.

You know, the way that it turned out with not playing a lot of matches over the Australian summer, I felt like, you know, if I did lose early in San Jose, then it was going to be tough, you know, maybe I would have taken that wildcard into Scottsdale to get the match practice. But I was planning on sort of having a pretty good Australian summer, a lot of matches, then have one week on. I had Davis Cup, as well. Hopefully I was going to play in Argentina, have a week off, San Jose, a week off, then the two Masters Series I thought was a pretty good schedule.

Q. Are you changed your schedule European schedule going into the French from last year?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not sure yet. Really don't know.

Q. What is that based on?

LLEYTON HEWITT: How I go here probably the next couple of weeks. Yeah, I think Monte-Carlo is probably an option this year. I've never been there in the past. I feel like, you know, I really will consider it.

Q. Would you drop one to make up for that or not?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. Really don't know. Rome, I've done well there in the past. Hamburg, I've done well, last year in the semis. Hamburg is a tough week though physically on your body with those Masters Series balls that they're pursuing.

Q. Queen's again, I hope?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Queen's, yeah, I'll be there. Don't mind that place (smiling).

Q. I heard you were invited to the Lakers game. Did you accept that invitation?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. When was it? Yeah, against New Jersey. Was it Tuesday night? Yeah, Tuesday night.

Q. What was that experience like?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was great. I went to a Lakers game about three years ago here. I drove down there one night when I lost in the first round back at the old place. You know, it's incredible to see those big guys jumping around. They're twice my size, probably four times my weight. Yeah, I was a bit disappointed not to see Kobe Bryant playing.

Q. Did you get a chance to meet any celebrities while you were out there?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I didn't meet anyone. Goran was about the only guy.

MODERATOR: He got to see the Warriors also. Probably got to see the worst and the best.

LLEYTON HEWITT: The crowd was a little bit different at both games.

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