R. FEDERER/L. Hewitt Semifinal
6-3, 6-4
An Interview With:

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton.

Q. Two and a half hours last night. Little bit tired today coming out here?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, little bit. You know, I didn't -- I got off to a bad start as well, which probably hurt a little bit in the end.

First game I had a few chances - 30-alls. Then, second game, I was up on my serve and lost it. If you can sort of get into the match, next game I had two break points to get back. Could have been easily up at least one break, you know, on my way. And it makes it a little bit easier from there.

You go down straight a break straightaway, it's a long way home.

Q. Is it possible to be tired out there but not feel tired? Your muscles just aren't reacting as they normally do?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. You know, in Australia with the chicken pox and that, that was a case of thinking you had energy when you didn't. But, you know, that's a bit different, too, out there tonight.

Q. He hasn't been broken in this tournament yet. Can you just talk about how his serve has come along since the last couple times you faced him?

LLEYTON HEWITT: He's serving well, but I still had chances. I had a lot of 30-all games. As I said, I had a breakpoint -- few break points early in the first set in the third game. Then I had break points his first service game of the second set as well.

So, you know, I had chances out there. You know, he's serving well and he's playing the big points well. In the end, if I played the big points well, could have been a different story.

Q. How do you look at him? He's very gifted; everybody knows that. Do you feel he can be a rival for you for No. 1 this year? Do you think he lacks some consistency?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I think he's getting more and more consistent every tournament. You know, he's had a pretty good start to this year, winning Sydney, playing a great match at the Australian Open, losing to Haas. Then, you know, at least making a final I think somewhere else as well. He's had a good start. I think this year could be a pretty big breakthrough year for him. Whether he's going to get up to top four or five, that's another question.

Q. Did you feel his presence at the net in the second set, in a sense that you changed the shots you wanted to go for?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I didn't think he came in, you know, heaps. You know, he volleys well. He's an all-court player. I didn't feel like I had to, you know, change my game though a lot to go for different shots than I normally would on the pass. I wasn't passing probably as well as I have in the past, but, you know -- in some other matches. But I don't think that was the time to sort of change what direction or how I was hitting the ball.

Q. Had that one volley right back at him in the second set giving him an easy pass?

LLEYTON HEWITT: That was me at the net though. So that's a bit different.

Q. It looked like, "This guy's been on the court way too many hours."

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's 50-50, he guessed the right way.

Q. How do you see the matchup in the finals?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Got no idea. You know, we'll let them work that out on Sunday.

Q. Next stop? Next stops?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not sure yet. We'll wait and see. Probably Monte-Carlo though.

Q. What's on your mind clay-wise for Europe?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't know. Still up in the air. So it's still up in the air. At this stage probably Monte-Carlo's a chance. Apart from that, I really don't know.

Q. Do you want to play a lot of clay or very little?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not heaps, but I definitely don't want to play too little either going in. I have to sort of try to find a happy medium there. Last year I played Rome, Hamburg, Dusseldorf. I felt pretty good, maybe I got a little bit tired towards the end of the French. So I will definitely be taking the week off before the French. That's different preparation than I've had going into the French before, so we'll see how that turns out.

Quarterfinal defeats Safin. An Interview With:

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Lleyton, congratulations. A terrific match. Anyone could have been the winner, do you agree with that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, for sure. Marat is a tough player to play because I feel like he's getting better and better at the areas that he's had slight weaknesses in, I think, since he's come on the tour. He's more aggressive. He comes to the net a lot more now. He's, you know, and I think he's becoming a more all-court player.

You know, just really tough to find too many weaknesses in his game. I tried to hang in there. He played great in the first set. Wasn't much I could do about it.

Second set, I feel like I lifted a couple of pegs.

Third set was just tough. It's tough to try and serve it out because he didn't give me any cheap points at all. Against most guys, they push the ball around or go for the big shot. When he went for the big shot, you know, couple backhands up the line and hit clean winners.

Q. In your opinion, where was the difference? What made the difference for you to win?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Who knows? A point here and there. It was that close. When you get to a tiebreak in the third set, it's, you know, getting off to a good start and trying to consolidate that. I got off to a pretty good start in the tiebreak and I was able to hang on.

As I said, it was one or two points here and there.

Q. From your point of view, what are you thinking during the match when he did that acrobatic and broke you, what was going through your mind in that moment?

LLEYTON HEWITT: There wasn't much I could do about it. I served a double-fault to start the game. But apart from that, I didn't feel like I played a bad game. He hit a couple of huge backhands up the line, as I said, then came up with a dive-volley to break me.

That's the type of player he is. That's the talent and flair that he plays with. You just got to try and accept that. I was able to get my mind back on the job.

I broke next game, lost my serve again. It's a good thing for me, you know, the positives that come out of it, even though a lot of players would get down after they served for a match twice. Yet I was able to get up and stay positive and guts it out and win in the breaker.

Q. For you, it must be extraordinary satisfaction to be the winner against such an opposition?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, well, yeah, he's one of the best players in the world. There's no doubt about that. I don't think anyone here can disagree. He made the final of the Australian Open. It's nice that I can go out there and play against these kind of players, you know. Obviously, the Australian Open, I would have loved to have been playing him in the final. It wasn't to be, and I can't do much about it.

But for me to match myself against a guy who's made the final of the Slam and made the semis of the one before at the US Open, so he's obviously up there, and, you know, when he is playing his best tennis, he's extremely hard to beat.

Q. I think everyone here is unanimous that we feel privileged to have seen a great, great match. When you reflect on it, have you had a chance to reflect on the fact that you've just shared in something pretty special?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, not a lot. I've had a bit of a stretch and I had a shower and that's about all at the moment. Later tonight and tomorrow I'll probably start thinking about it, but I don't have a lot of time to reflect on it. Tomorrow night I'm back out there again playing in another semi of this tournament. I've lost I think the last two years in the semis here. It would be nice to go one further. Whether I can do that or not, I've got another tough opponent tomorrow night.

Q. Did it feel like a special match when you were playing?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It felt pretty high-standard out there, there's no doubt about that. I feel like I'm playing pretty well. Marat, if he's on, as I said before, he's in the top one, two, three players in the world when he's on.

We've seen that in matches like he beat Sampras at the Australian Open. I thought that was one of the most incredible matches I've seen. A guy plays -- you see it so many times with him, but he is still that little bit up and down. That's why he probably lost the Australian Open final.

But, you know, it was really good to be part of it I think.

Q. For you, this run on American soil is nothing short of sensational.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's all right at the moment. It would be nice to finish this tournament off. But, you know, two matches to go. You know, the other three players in the tournament, you know, are playing incredible tennis as well. So there's not going to be one easy match.

At the moment, I just start thinking about Roger tomorrow and, you know, the way that, you know, I didn't see today's match but he obviously cleaned Pavel up pretty easily, pretty convincingly. He's been playing really well. He's just getting better and better with more experience.

So it would be, you know, hopefully as good a match if it can as tonight.

Q. What did Jason and Kim tell you after the match?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I haven't spoken to Kim yet. She can't get in the men's locker room, so...

Jason just, you know, he said, "Great match, gutsing it out," and that. We really haven't spoken much about it. He was more concerned about trying to get my body and that to bounce back for tomorrow's match.

At the moment we're sort of more worrying about how I can get trying to be 100 percent coming into tomorrow's match. But I'm sure after practice tomorrow around lunch time that we'll start sitting down and talking about the good things that came out of tonight's match and also what to try and work on for tomorrow night's.

Q. When you're on the kind of run that you're on at the moment then you're faced with a deciding set tiebreak, how big of an advantage, how big a boost is that for you? Does it enter into it at all?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. You know, obviously when you haven't been, you know, losing too many matches, you've got that confidence and you believe you can win from any situation. And, you know, the way that I've saved six matchpoints in the whole San Jose tournament a few weeks ago, you know, the confidence from that, that never-say-die attitude comes through. When I do get in a tiebreak or tight situation, it really doesn't bother me too much.

You know, it was only those couple of times where I served a couple of doubles on a couple of big points out there today. I went for one of them. The other one was a little bit soft. But you have times like that. You can't do much about it. The way that I hung in there and played a good breaker, I was pretty happy with it.

Q. What do you think of Safin's backhand? Is it the strength of his game?

LLEYTON HEWITT: His forehand is as good as his backhand. His backhand is extremely good though. He can go either way. He's probably getting more and more consistent on it as well. We had a lot of, you know, a lot of backhand rallies just cross-court tonight waiting for -- sort of playing cat and mouse out there a little bit, waiting for who was going to go down the line first.

I think he's becoming more and more consistent with it anyway.

Q. Lleyton, to me still is the image when you were in your first professional match against Sergi Bruguera in the Australian Open. Perhaps for you it's a long time, but it's amazing where you are now. You showed the talent there, but it's incredible.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, mate, it's -- it's a short time for me as well.

You know, you're 15, I was 15 at the time. You know, I didn't know anything about the tour whatsoever. You know, I was playing -- I'd only really played a couple - one or two satellites before that. Then I went out there and I qualified for, you know, the Grand Slam that I'd most want to win.

So I was -- it was an incredible thing. That whole year was basically still playing Juniors and stuff anyway. Then the next year, you know, comes around, Australian tournament time again and I put my hand up for a wildcard and take it and win Adelaide.

So, yeah, everything's happened pretty quick the last four or five years for me. But it's been great. I love it.

Q. What kind of challenges will Roger present for you? You've gotten the better of him in four of your five meetings so far?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's going to be tougher than those other matches I've played him in, though. I think he's getting better and better every time I've seen him play. He's more consistent than he used to be. He doesn't make those loose errors like he used to a little bit sort of coming out of the Juniors. He's got an all-court game. He serves extremely well. You know, he's got a big forehand he likes to run around and smack. I've got to, you know, try and hang in there and make him play a lot of balls.

You know, it's still going to be a tough match though. I'm going to have to play as well as I can to win.

Q. Going back to tonight real quick, what goes through your head, how do you keep your spirit when you get broken twice trying to serve it out? How do you regroup for the tiebreak?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I just sort of told myself, "Marat played too good in those two games." I said, you know, "It's 6-all. Now we're even." It's tough to put out of your mind for anyone. But I think I'm probably as good as anyone at doing it. I'm mentally tough out there, and I wanted to win bad enough as well that, you know, I really didn't want to let, you know, something like, "Oh, I should be in the locker room sort of showering now," that didn't enter my mind at all. I was thinking positive, trying to get off to a good start in that breaker, and I was able to.

Q. Lakers fan?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Hey?

Q. Lakers fan?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I went and watched one of their games. They're Nike as well, so that's all right.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports...

Excerpt from interview with Marat Safin

Q. Marat, it was a fantastic match. I know how you feel, but where do you think was the difference? What made the difference tonight?

MARAT SAFIN: My opinion is definitely that the serve make the difference. Because without serve, you're gonna beat this guy. I mean, he's No. 1 in the world. He's playing great. He has a very good baseline, he has unbelievable legs. Very good anticipation. Very fast, you know.
. Seems like you had a nice moment at the net with him graciously afterwards. What did you say to him?

MARAT SAFIN: No, just -- just I think it was great match. I said, "Thank you," and just, "Good luck for the tournament." He was too good for me today. That's what I said.

Q. What did he say?

MARAT SAFIN: I don't think he could speak, he would speak but he was excited. And I think it's very happy moment, and it's really nice moment for him. I think was a great match. He played good. I don't think he has to say something. It was just... Was too good. Was a good match today. I think spectators, they would enjoy it very much.

Q. I think it was the best match of the tournament.

MARAT SAFIN: Thank you.

Q. What is it about Hewitt that makes him tough to beat?

MARAT SAFIN: Tough to beat, that he's really consistent, you know - he doesn't lose his mind and he's just playing his game. It's not really impressive game, but he's running, he doesn't make any mistakes, he has really fast hands, fast legs. You cannot play his game. And when he's starting to play his game, it's just baseline, he just kills you. You know, he plays the balls in the right way, in the right place, and it's difficult to play with him, against him from the baseline. He's really, really consistent.

Q. Is there a better fighter on tour than him?

MARAT SAFIN: I don't think so. That's why he's No. 1 in the world.

Q. The one first serve that you did make in the tiebreak was 132 miles-per-hour into his body. How surprised were you that that ball came back?

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, you know that he's probably one of the best -- he has one of the best returns on tour. You have to serve well against him, you know, to just... just to make free points.

So I have to make it -- serve into the body or keep away from him. So it's -- for me, it was, in the tiebreak, was easy to serve to the body than to serve wide because I just -- I lost my serve. I lost the motion.

L. HEWITT/J. Blake
6-4, 6-1
An Interview With:

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton, please.

Q. With an overnight delay as well.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yes.

Q. It didn't seem to affect your momentum at all.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really. It's always tough, I think, for both players. You'd rather be a set and a break up than a set and a break down going overnight. But I came out, I felt like I got better and better as the match went on yesterday.

You know, it was pretty crucial getting that early break in the second set as well last night.

Q. Sometimes just watching your matches, it seems like there's nothing you need to add to your game. It seems that way, anyway. Do you feel that there's anything technically that you still need to add?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know about my technique, but I think just getting a little bit stronger maybe. You don't want to lose your quickness around the court either though, because that's such an edge for me, such an advantage.

Obviously, the first serves, I've been serving pretty well actually the last three or four weeks in my matches. Jason and I spent a lot of time, you know, after the chicken pox in Australia, sort of working on that area of my game. But it's totally different taking it into a match situation rather than practice as well.

But that's probably the main area - coming in, being a bit more aggressive. That's probably the two areas that I feel I can work on and become better.

Q. You don't ever see yourself hitting a 125 -, 130-mile-an-hour serve?

LLEYTON HEWITT: 125 yesterday, mate. That was huge.

Q. Can you do it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Huh?

Q. Can you do it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I did 125 yesterday. 130, I don't know about that. Heavy conditions last night, I reckon I would have pushed 130 in Indian Wells maybe. It was a good serve.

Q. I know you know Safin. What do you know about Gonzalez?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I know a lot about Gonzalez. He was No. 1 junior in the world, you know, at the 14s. He was a guy you always - for me I was a year or two younger than him - a guy we all looked up to I think. In the Juniors he was so professional and he was a lot bigger than, you know. We were back then as well.

He's, you know, got a massive forehand, moves well. He stands a fair way behind the baseline as well, though. But he's getting better on hardcourt. His results are showing that.

But, you know, whether he can beat Marat's probably a little bit up to Marat I think. If Marat plays as he can play, you know, some of the matches in the Australian Open like he did then, you know, then he's probably going to win.

Q. He's had kind of an up and down tournament so far.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Marat? I thought he played pretty well against Mark and then also well the other day. But who knows with him? He can blow anyone away on any given day, so...

Q. Two totally different styles - one big guy, one not so big guy. One guy who likes to hit a 130-mile-an-hour serve. Do you prepare differently for them, or do you play your game?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I'll pretty much play my game. You know, got that confidence in my game that, you know, going out there I don't really have to change too much. I'll have a few things in the back of my mind that I can fall back on if I need to out there.

Apart from that, I'm just going to go out there and, you know, take it as it comes. I've got that confidence in my game at the moment.

Q. I know it's going back a match, but when you're in a situation you're in against Gambill, what gives you the edge, do you think? You were struggling a little bit, then you go into the third set 5-all? What do you think gives you the edge there?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Actually, I felt like I played pretty well the whole match. From 1 -love when I broke --.

Q. He had a chance.

LLEYTON HEWITT: He played incredible. That's the best he's played against me. It was as simple as that. He would have given anyone a run for their money. If he's serving that big and he's slapping that many returns like that, then he's going to be tough to beat.

But, you know, I found a way to get into the match. And once I got into the match, I felt like, you know, I was the better player for the second and third sets. So, I had the early break in both sets. And, you know, I just hung in there and, you know, waited for a chance. And, you know, come 6-5, I wasn't going to give him an easy point; that was for sure.

Q. I'm just wondering if you feel, in situations when it comes like that, you just got that little something over any player at any given time.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's hard to say. You know, I've lost some tight matches in the past as well.

So when it gets in that situation, though, I try to play the percentages as much as possible. And, you know, in the end I think it worked out pretty well. He didn't make too many big first serves. As soon as I got in a rally, I had a better than 50 percent chance of winning it, I felt anyway.

Q. Can you speak a little bit about your past in Australian football.

LLEYTON HEWITT: My what?

Q. In Australian football, your past.

LLEYTON HEWITT: What about it?

Q. Well, how it went.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I haven't played since about 14 or 15. So...(Inaudible).

Q. You were crazy about it? You liked it a lot?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, well, yeah. When your father, grandfather and uncle played it professionally, sort of, you know, it was in me I suppose. And, you know, I preferred Australian Rules football to tennis back then for sure.

Q. How did it help your tennis?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't really, but...

Q. Mentally?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Mentally?

Q. Yeah.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know, maybe being competitive at another sport may have helped; I'm not sure. It's probably helped in the team aspect more because I look forward to playing Davis Cup matches so much not only because I'm playing for my country but also have the chance to come together as a team. Whereas in football, I loved doing that - being in the (inaudible) with the boys, hanging out and stuff. You don't get that opportunity in tennis as much.

So when Davis Cup goes around, I look forward to playing those matches.

Q. Lleyton, when Blake learns how to stay on the point, maybe not go for too much in situations where he should be a little bit more conservative, how good do you reckon he could be?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. He's got a pretty good -- he's an all-court player. I think he'll be able to play on all surfaces. He's got a big forehand. He is a little bit wild at times. You know, he probably didn't, you know, hit enough first serves in, I don't think, in the match last night and today.

And that sort of once I got in the point, I felt like I had a pretty good chance of winning. The longer the point went, the better the chance I had of winning it.

Q. What do you think of Gambill's one-handed forehand?

LLEYTON HEWITT: He's gotten better and better at it. So whether -- I don't know how good it's going to get though. It's still always maybe a little weakness just because he plays the rest of the time with the two-hander. I think over the last year and a half it's definitely improved a lot.

Q. Is he putting a little bit of topspin on that forehand?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Little bit. It's still pretty flat, though. Sort of a little bit of a slap.

L. HEWITT/J. Gambill
3-6, 6-4, 7,5
An Interview With:

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton, please.

Q. Damn good tennis out there.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was good. Jan-Michael always starts well, I found, in the past. I felt like I haven't had too many chances to break him real early in matches in the past.

I tried to get off to a good start. I was able to break first up. He just played incredible tennis the whole first set. 5-1, he was just slapping balls around left, right, and center. Everything was going two inches inside every line.

I just told myself, you know, "You're No. 1 in the world. If you can do this..." Obviously, you don't want to (inaudible) yourself the whole match.

I actually thought I wasn't playing too bad. I just hung in there like I always did. In the end it paid off.

Q. Had he shown you that one -handed forehand?

LLEYTON HEWITT: He's getting better and better every time I see him with it. Tonight was obviously the best I've seen him hit it. He hit it well return-wise. When he was stretched out trying to make a pass, he hit it well.

You know, it's probably been a little bit of a weakness in the past, I think, playing some guys when they've got him out wide. Now on, I don't think so much.

Q. You get another American in the next round now.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah.

Q. You haven't played him?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, twice.

Q. Okay.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I haven't even thought about it yet though.

But, you know, he's playing great. You know, he's getting better and better every time I see him. So, you know, I'm going to have to play just as well as I did tonight if I'm going to get through.

Round 2 L. HEWITT/P. Srichaphan
7-6, 7-5
An Interview With:

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton Hewitt, please.

Q. Lleyton, when the whole package isn't there on a day like this, what's your mindset? Just, "Wait it out," you think it's going to get there, just be patient? Or do you start to change things? If you do, at what point?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You try and go back to your basics, I think - you know, the part of your game that you can rely on the whole time. That's what I felt like I had to do today. I just didn't feel confident in hitting the ball and, you know, I just went back to what I, you know, gutsing it out and trying to get through it and being happy with getting a win on the board.

Q. A couple years ago people were saying the game is definitely going to, you know, to the big guys: Safin, Guga, even Pete a little bit. Clearly, you've turned that entire thing on its ear with your performance last year. Were you yourself surprised at all by that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. A lot of people say that, and, you know, the whole time I sort of look at, you know, the way probably especially Andre has been able to, you know, stand up and compete. You know, he hasn't, you know, dominated, but him and Pete have dominated. So together, you know, they're two totally different kind of players. I think that's one of the main reasons why they've had such a good rivalry over the years.

But, you know, so I draw confidence from looking at a guy like Andre. He can beat any player on any given day on any surface. So, yeah, even to look at grass, for example, he can beat anyone on grass in my opinion - I think everyone's opinion, on any day. He doesn't serve-volley. He really doesn't come to the net that often. Yet he's still, you know, he's able to dominate some of the bigger, powerful guys out there.

That's where I've got to look at -- obviously I had to work on other areas of my game growing up, because I knew I wasn't going to be the biggest, strongest guy out there. You look at Andre, Michael Chang in the past, their returns, quickness, those are areas I feel like I can have an edge.

Q. Did you ever fear you might not be able to cut it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. It definitely, you know, didn't go through my mind that I have to go pound weights for the next five years to be able to compete with these guys. I felt like, you know, I've got to work on areas of my game to have a slight edge, whether that's mental, which I think I can have an edge over guys mentally. I think I'm one of the toughest - mentally - guys out there on the tour. I think I'm one of the quickest guys.

You know, passing shots, returns, I think I'm up there with, you know, the best of them. I have other areas of my game that I feel like I can be on top of other guys.

Q. Lleyton, very possibly the biggest weapon you have are your legs. When there are no sand dunes around to run, what's your program between tournaments?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, they didn't feel as fresh as normal actually today. I think that's just got to do with playing a lot of matches and, you know, some days you go out there and you just don't feel like you're 100 percent there. And, you know, today was one of those but I was able to, you know, put that aside and just, you know, try and get up for it and, you know, jumping around a bit out there.

Between tournaments such as the last two or three weeks, it's pretty tough. Because you don't want to go out there and do 400s all day. You know, you can, you know, occasionally do some court sprints. But what I'd more like to do is drills on the court, you know, the practice court, and get my footwork out there rather than go to an oval and do a lot of sprints when you only have five or six days to recover.

Q. What about when there's a week off?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, that's pushing it, I think, as well. I'd, like, maybe ride the bike, do some running on the treadmill in the gym. On a week off like I've nearly had here or between San Jose and Indian Wells, I still would prefer to normally, after a big week like San Jose, I'd take a day or two off. After that I'd like to do more on-court work rather than run laps.

Q. Mostly a maintenance program rather than trying to get your legs better?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I'm just trying to keep them at the same level basically during a period. If I start getting a couple weeks off where I feel like I can, you know, build it up a bit and try and get a bit of pace ready for the next upcoming tournaments or the long stretch of clay court events and then grass court events, then I'll maybe do a different program. But on a week off, it's pretty tough to go out there and set a program to try and improve.

Q. All things being equal, you put a guy on the court, a Mark Philippoussis, a Lleyton Hewitt, how does that match up? Can you characterize that psychologically? Who's got the pressure, the guy that has all the power because he's supposed to win?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. You know, obviously he's got, you know, bigger strengths. (Inaudible). If I can get away with holding my serve, I feel like, you know, I've got maybe a better chance of breaking most guys' serves than they have of breaking me.

Then again, I've still got to go out there, I don't have the biggest serve around, I've got to get a high percentage of first serves, work the point from the baseline, not give away any cheap points on my service game. A guy like Mark or Safin, they can go out there and play a little bit more freer, I think, on their service games and go for it a bit more. They have that cannon to rely on a couple of break points down maybe.

Q. One of the toughest things for a lot of players to do is get into a rally where your opponent gets into a pace of the ball and you fall into the same pace. But you have this ability to absorb his power and redirect the ball at your pace. How do you learn that? How long does it take?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it's something -- I grew up playing with, you know, I was always playing out of my age group in Juniors. I was always playing bigger, stronger guys from the word "go." I think that's one of the main reasons. I had to learn, growing up, I had to learn other ways to beat guys and, you know, directing the ball around.

So I was always used to a lot harder hitting than, you know, than my, you know, probably age should have been. And, you know, that's one of the main reasons. I think if you go out there and practice with the older guys, better players, then you're going to become better as well. I had to do that in the junior squads back home in Adelaide.

Q. Do you empathize with Michael Chang? He's going through a rough patch right now. It seems to be getting tough for him?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's tough to watch, I think, Michael at the moment. I practiced with him before we knew the draw and that we could have been playing. We actually practiced together. He hits the ball great in practice still. He sort of just doesn't quite have that same confidence that, you know, that confidence, that self-belief, I think, when he's out there. The other day I watched the third-set tiebreaker after I finished my doubles, and it was like he'd sort of forgotten how to win a little bit, I thought. That's a tough thing for a guy like Michael to go through. Everyone knows he's been one of the greatest players ever to play. For him to have that and, you know, whether he's going to, you know, get out of it, you know, who knows whether he's going to have to go back to challengers and find a way to win again. I don't know.

But for him, whether he was getting tired the other night, it was strange, 5-4 up, a mini break, third-set breaker, he serve-volleys. It's strange to see Michael do that kind of thing where so many times he's grinded the guy into the ground.

Q. You had to pump your serve in the second set today. Did you do something differently, take something off of it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Of my serve?

Q. Yeah.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I tried to get a high percentage in. Paradorn is a strong player, especially on the second serve. He can start dictating play as well. I just tried to get as high percentage in as possible. I tried using the angles a little bit, mixing it up, not giving him one certain pace out there.

Q. You were under 50 percent first serves in that first set. The wind was a little tricky?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was. The wind's different out there, you know. It was windy in Indian Wells last week, but it was more sort of a down breeze I think last week. You could sort of pick where the wind was going. Out there today I had no idea. So, you know, it was tough playing in those conditions because occasionally, I felt like I was hitting with the breeze. Next time I felt like I was against it. Then I felt it was coming from the side. I really had no idea.

And, you know, you throw a ball up, there was one time I threw up a lob and it just drifted out and I thought the wind was going the other way. It's something that I'll get better and better the more matches that I play here again.

Q. Why do you find him that difficult? You really had to pull out all stops.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I didn't play my best tennis today. You know, I found a way to win in the end. You know, I was happy to get through. You know, he's a flashy player, he doesn't give you a lot of rhythm, he's a little bit hit-and-miss. In most of these matches that I've seen him, he comes out with all guns firing right from the word "go." And, you know, you get down an early break, you're behind the eight ball because he does have a lot of power, he's got a pretty good first serve when it goes in. But as I said, he's so flashy, he doesn't give you a lot of rhythm out there.

Q. Continuing on from what Peter was asking about earlier, the big guy, small guy, who do you prefer to play - someone who's explosive like a Philippoussis, or someone else?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Doesn't really worry me. It's like whether you like playing a guy, Pat Rafter, Tim Henman, Sampras, or a clay court player, it hasn't really worried me in the past too much. Especially on different surfaces, it may be different. You probably prefer to play a clay court player rather than Rafter on grass.

But on hardcourt, these hardcourts are fairly slow. The balls are heavy. You know, the clay court players I think are getting better and better and, you know, the results are showing that with Chela beating Roddick yesterday, for example. You know, Gaudio's doing well here, he did well here last year as well.

I think the clay court players are, you know, it's a lot easier for them to do better on these hardcourt tournaments now that the conditions and everything are a little bit slower.

Q. Can you honestly say that some of the players you played this year, because you're No. 1, have come out with a sort of different attitude toward you, the attitude that, "I want to beat this little sucker today"? "This is my shot"?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I think everyone wants to beat the top dog out there. You know, it's the same in any sport. It's, you know, if I was playing Australian footy, and I was on a team that was coming in eighth and we had the opportunity to play the No. 1 team, then I'd go out there and want to beat them as well and try and prove something. I think everyone sort of takes that into tennis as well.

It's something -- I feel fine with that. I'm going to -- you have your off days but I think that's where, you know, guys -- I've been able to step up in some of my off days recently when I haven't played my best tennis. I've been able to find a way to win. That's why guys like Andre and Pete have been so good over the last ten years.

Q. You describe yourself as a "top dog." What kind of dog would you be? What breed would you be?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Got no idea. Don't know. Something pretty quick, I think.

Q. Pitbull?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Thanks, mate. That's nice.

Q. Has there been one match this year, one player where you really felt the intensity?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. You know, I feel like everyone, you know, goes out there and everyone's, you know, competed hard that I've played so far this year or since I've been No. 1 anyway. I felt that, you know, the same last year, even though I was No. 2 or 3 after the US Open. You know, you won a Grand Slam and everyone sort of wants to beat the person who's just, you know, done well.

And, you know, probably like Johansson is starting to feel those pressures a little bit more now as well.

Q. Lleyton, which names would you say have a better chance for the Race this year?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Which players?

Q. Yeah.

LLEYTON HEWITT: There's -- whoa, there's probably 15 to 20 guys I think, because we're not like the women, we don't have 16 players that can be tough for everyone to squeeze in. It's going to be tough. I really can't pick it. You know, obviously there's going to be some clay courters, whether Guga can make up for - I don't know how much tennis he's going to miss on the clay. Obviously, that's where he's done the best in the past. Whether he can make up for that and play like he did winning Cincinnati and stuff like that, I don't know.

Agassi, Sampras are in the mix, Safin's up there already after the Australian Open final, Johansson's pretty much guaranteed in. Probably only seven spots left. A lot depends on who wins the Grand Slams as well.

Q. As a good friend of Guga, would you like to send him a message?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Guga?

Q. Yeah. He'll be watching.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I think the whole tour misses him. You know, he's a great personality, and he brings a lot of people in to watch tennis as well. With not only the way that he plays the game, but also, you know, the way that he's off court as well and he's, you know, such a nice guy.

Q. You've had a couple wins over Jan-Michael this year. If it is him in the next round, is that more meaningful, to try to get a win over him here at this tournament?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, no. You know, I go out there and I'll play hard again and hopefully I can get three-in-three tournaments for me against him if I do have to play him.

He's a tough player. He's got a big game. I have to be, you know, extremely consistent and work the ball well. If I'm not playing 100 percent, then he's a guy who can definitely knock you off.

Q. Does he match up with you well because of his fire power from the baseline as well as his serve?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, it's hard to say. He's sort of had the wood on me a little bit before the last couple meetings. We've always had close matches. Tight matches. And, you know, the last couple weeks I've felt like I've got the better of him. I've just been able to get those early breaks up early and sort of consolidate on my serve.

Wednesday March 20, 2002
An Interview With:
LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton Hewitt.

Q. Those are all pretty impressive statistics. You happy with the way things are going for you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I mean, I've been playing well. I knew going into San Jose it was going to be pretty tough. Felt like I got things going once I hit quarterfinals time, and sort of the business end of the tournament there. Was really able to get up for those big matches - Todd Martin, Gambill and Agassi three days in a row. Played some pretty good tennis, got better and better. Then, obviously, Indian Wells, just try to take it, you know, over there. And I beat some big names to get through there.

So, sort of, my confidence is pretty high at the moment, and it probably should be.

Q. Would you compare or contrast Jason's approach to coaching as opposed to Darren's approach to coaching? How are they difficult or similar?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Pretty similar guys anyway, I think. I think Jason is sort of just feeling his way out I think a little bit. We got to know each other pretty well through Davis Cup ties anyway the last couple of years when he was playing and I was always the orange boy or the fifth player at ties.

So we knew each other pretty well. And then, obviously, we got to spend a couple of months together when I was in the sick bed in Adelaide. You know, it was pretty hard watching the Australian Open, that first round, and you knew you weren't right, so...

He's, you know, they're pretty similar in the way they go about it. It's always been my game, you know, I go out there and play my game and I don't worry about my opponents too much. Jason's got good thoughts on the opponents that I've played. He's played a lot of them as well. He retired only last Wimbledon. So he's played just about every guy I think I've played in the last two tournaments.

Q. Do you want a coach who will kick your butt when you're lazy on a particular day? If so, is Jason that kind of coach?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, I don't mind it. I definitely don't think I'm one of the laziest guys around. There's not too many practice sessions that I go out and tank. So, yeah, I give 100 percent every time I step on the court. At the moment, I probably don't know if Jason is going to kick my butt or not.

Q. In retrospect, although you didn't feel it at the time, do you think the time you had off in Australia might have worked to your benefit? You played so many matches at the end of last year, now you've had that time to recuperate and recover. Perhaps with that time, you're fresher?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's hard to say. I spoke about it last week. It's a toss of the coin. You know, I love playing a lot of matches and being match hard. I felt going into San Jose I struggled early because I just didn't have those matches under my belt.

You know, you can always say in hindsight it must have been the right thing or a blessing in disguise. But at the time, it definitely hurt a little bit sitting out, watching the Australian Open, knowing I had just come off the Masters Cup, getting to No. 1, Davis Cup, winning both my matches of the Hopman Cup and then having to withdraw when you're playing good tennis and seriously considering yourself a contender.

So, you know, I don't necessarily think -- the hurt that sort of came at the Australian Open, I tried to put it behind me straightaway and make myself work to get back as soon as possible back on the tour and start playing 100 percent and get my fitness level back.

Q. How surprised have you been in yourself that you've been able to hit that form? You say you struggled a little bit early on in San Jose. Ever since then, you picked up where you left off really?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I got the sweet memories about what happened towards the end of last year and all the big matches that I got up for and how I handled those pressure situations in all those times. You know, that's something that, you know, the more and more experience you get, the better off.

So, you know, as soon as I started playing those big matches again, those feelings, those emotions that I went through started to come back. You know, the toughest thing was trying little areas of the game that you worked on in the off-season, and I played a lot of practice sets just before San Jose, but to try to put it in match situation. That's what really took the first couple matches in San Jose to get that right.

Q. What are the pressures of being ranked No. 1? Are you comfortable with that ranking?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I'd rather be there than not, so...

Yeah, you know, I love being No. 1. It's a great feeling. It's a great honor. To see so many of the great players before you who have held the title of No. 1 player in the world. To be able to do that and have your name on a list with so many great players, especially my mate Pat Rafter, there's not a whole heap of others who, you know, since the ranking started. It's only new. We're all very close, too.

Obviously, it demands probably more time and stuff like that. You know, it's a bit busier, I suppose, since you get No. 1. More people want you. You just got to try and balance it so it doesn't interrupt your tennis. You know, your tennis comes first. You try to fit in as much around it as possible, but you don't want to go over the top and start causing yourself to lose matches because of it.

Q. Because of that, all the things you've just said, do you feel that, you know, you can't have any off days; that you're always going to get the other guys' best effort because they're out to, more or less, put your scalp on their lodge pole so to speak?

LLEYTON HEWITT: A little bit, for sure. That's what made it a little bit tougher playing the first couple matches, as I said, in San Jose. Being the No. 1 player, coming back after an illness, not knowing if you're really 100 percent right yet. I hadn't really tested myself in a match situation.

I go in there, played two guys who I know can play extremely well, most of the media may know him a little bit, but the public wouldn't have an idea about both those players. I go out there and this is their big opportunity to play the No. 1 player in the world. This was a tough situation. Even though I wasn't playing well, I found a way to win.

You know, you hear guys like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi say that so many times - when they're not playing well - that because they're that good, they'll find a way to win no matter what. I think I did that in those first few matches. I think that's sort of maybe the biggest difference between some guys getting to No. 1 and being able to stay there and some not getting there.

Q. Are you still finding ways to win matches?

LLEYTON HEWITT: At the moment I'm feeling pretty comfortable. I'm feeling pretty good.

Q. Provided he beats Srichaphan, you'll be playing Michael Chang. Your style of play, your game has been compared to Michael Chang in the past. Would you find it very interesting to go against him face-to-face on the court?

LLEYTON HEWITT: He's a tough player at any time; there's no doubt. He's going through a bit of a struggle at the moment. But I've practiced with him a fair few times in the past. I practiced with him the other day. He still hits the ball great. Whether his self-confidence just isn't quite there at the moment, you know, that's probably the biggest thing.

You know, if I had to play him, it would be an extremely tough match, there's no doubt about that. If you look at some of his matches over the last couple years when he hasn't, you know, been at the top of his game, he's still, to me, got off the bigger matches rather than guys who he's had to play who are maybe ranked below him. Srichaphan beat him I think in the first round last week in three sets. And whether it's going to happen tomorrow or not, I'm not sure.

Q. When Jim Courier reached No. 1, he talked about the respect and fear factor in the locker room. That was an edge for him, just knowing other people had a certain fear of him. Do you feel that at all?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, people stare at you a little bit more I think. You know, and I think people want to know what you're doing and what the secret is. You know, there's no real secret though (laughing).

Q. Does it work in your favor?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, I'd definitely probably rather have it than not. People, if they're worried or not, I'm not sure. But they're trying to find out, you know, what the secret is or how you sort of got to No. 1, I guess.

And, you know, they're trying to, you know, look at your every move, I suppose.

Yeah, it doesn't worry me at all, though. If there is some worry or some fear or doubt in their mind when you go out to play them, then obviously I think it's a better thing in my favor.

Q. How do you feel about these next couple weeks? You come off winning two titles in three weeks.

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's going to be as tough as ever, though. It's an extremely tough field. There's no easy matches here again just like especially last week in Indian Wells. I'm going to have to play as well as I did in Indian Wells to do well here again and give myself a chance of winning.

But, you know, I think I'm capable of, you know, going another one, trying to get through another - what is it - six matches I think again here, with the bye or two, to hold up the trophy again. I'm going to have to play as well if not better than in Indian Wells. Obviously there's a little bit of a breeze here that you have to contend with. Maybe it was good practice in Indian Wells, a few of those sandstorms.

Q. The chicken pox aside, because that could have happened to anyone, how is the situation with your allergies now? Do you have it under control?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I haven't really had much. You know, I just sort of put up with everything now. Go out there and play and give 100 percent. And at the moment it's not too bad, so I'm getting through anyway.

Q. Have you afforded yourself one luxury for getting to No. 1 in the world? Have you bought yourself something you might not have bought?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, not really (smiling).

Q. No?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, haven't done much actually.

Q. Do you think one of the big improvements in your game is that, I mean, you're always going to be a physical, very athletic player. Your speed gets you to these spectacular shots that most people can't get. It seems to me with the bread and butter shots you don't have to put quite as much physical energy in to play them any more because you know the shot you're going to play that much earlier. Is that a fair comment or not?

LLEYTON HEWITT: In some ways it is. I think some of the biggest difference, though, especially the last couple weeks, has probably been my serve more than anything. I feel like I've been serving pretty well. Serving patches in a couple of matches.

But in the main, I've had a pretty high percentage in, but I've hit the corners well or I'll hit the lines well. When you're not the biggest guy around, you don't have the most power, that's what you've got to do. I've been able to do that. I've mixed my serve up really well. I've used it to my advantage to start the point off and try to get on the front foot right from the word "go" rather than, you know, just hit it in and start the point.

Q. In other words, it's opening up the court more?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, a little bit. Obviously I want to get as many cheaper points as possible as well. It makes this game a lot easier as well.

Q. With the domination of the Australians in the Academy Awards, now you're No. 1, is it the year of the Aussie, do you think?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know about that (smiling). I'm sure Russell and Nicole would like to hope so coming up there. Yeah, but, you know, they should win anyway.

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