Lleyton's lost that stick-insect look

By JOHN THIRSK
24dec02
LLEYTON Hewitt is in the best physical and mental shape of his life as he zeroes in on the Australian Open – his New Year mission.

It's a stunning turnaround from this time last year when a chronically fatigued, virus-stricken Hewitt pulled out of the Hopman Cup with his career in the balance.

"Lleyton has recharged the batteries this year and now he's lifted his fitness to another level," the world No. 1's former coach Peter Smith revealed yesterday.

"Lleyton took time out to energise himself for a couple of weeks after winning the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

"And there has been some serious work going on at the gym since."

Hewitt has mixed pleasure with pain on his Christmas holiday in Adelaide, leaving the tennis racquet largely at home but undertaking an intensive two-week fitness regime with coach Jason Stoltenberg and AFL conditioner Roger Rasheed.

Smith said he had never seen the world No. 1 as fit and physically strong going into a new season.

"It's a sign of Lleyton's maturity: he has regrouped this year and his fitness is amazing," the coach said.

Hewitt's summer of tennis at home begins this Sunday when he will form a two-pronged Australian team with Alicia Molik in the Hopman Cup in Perth.

Then it's a week-long preparation leading into the Australian Open where he aims to become the first Australian since Mark Edmondson in 1976 to win a grand slam at home.

Make no mistake, this is the one Hewitt wants to add to his Wimbledon and US Open triumphs over the last two years.

And it's the challenge that is driving Hewitt to new levels of fitness in Adelaide in the lead-up to Christmas.

Hewitt had a horror start to last season when he contracted chicken pox at the Hopman Cup.

His health was a major concern as he was slow to recover and although he gave his all at the Australian Open his condition gave out and he was bundled out in the first round by Alberto Martin.

This weekend's Hopman Cup is shrouded in controversy with Australia's highest-ranked woman, Nicole Pratt, claiming yesterday she would have had a better chance of playing if she looked like Anna Kournikova.

Molik, ranked No. 94 in the world – 46 places behind Pratt at 48 – is considered by many to be fortunate to be lining up with Hewitt in Perth.

"I was expecting to play. I enjoy playing for my country and the Hopman Cup is about representing Australia, so I'm disappointed not to be there," Pratt said. "But I understand tennis is about entertainment and they need to sell tickets."

Hewitt adds to team
By LEO SCHLINK
22dec02

WORLD No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt has bolstered his close-knit support staff as the Wimbledon champion prepares to lay siege to the Hopman Cup.
Plagued by virus-related illness throughout another stellar season, Hewitt has enlisted the services of former touring professional and fellow South Australian Roger Rasheed as fitness coach.
A talented, explosive competitor, Rasheed has joined Hewitt's coach, Jason Stoltenberg, at Memorial Drive, Adelaide, where the world champion has resumed practice after taking a short break following his Tennis Masters Cup triumph in Shanghai.

A former SANFL footballer with Sturt, Rasheed previously coached Alicia Molik – Hewitt's Cup partner in Perth – and was touted as a contender to captain Australia's Fed Cup team.

Supremely fit, Rasheed was taken on to help Hewitt build up a lasting fitness ahead of what is certain to be a gruelling 2003 season. Hewitt hopes to launch it with victories in the Hopman Cup and the Australian Open in Melbourne next month.

"Roger is doing a lot of gym-based fitness work with Lleyton," Hewitt's father, Glynn, said. "Roger is helping out with the preparation for the Hopman Cup and Australian Open, and we'll sit down and review the situation after that.

"We need to find out how Lleyton's schedule fits in with Roger and take it from there.

"Lleyton is taking a little bit of a different angle with his preparation this season. He's a little bit sore from all the work he's been doing with Roger, but he's really enjoying it. It's a bit like having a preseason."

Hewitt worked with Mark Waters, Pat Rafter's long-time fitness coach, for part of last season in a partnership designed to nurse the South Australian through a string of flat patches.

"With 'Muddy' (Waters) it was more stretching rather than the stuff Roger is doing, because every time Lleyton stepped off a plane he had a virus," Hewitt Sr said. "By the end of the season, the (Lleyton's) immune system was completely shot and he was running on fumes at the end."

Laid low and vulnerable because of a chronic breathing problem for much of this past season, Hewitt contrived an excellence unmatched by his peers to not only land Wimbledon, but also retain his No. 1 ranking.

The baseliner's health is being monitored by top Sydney immunologist Professor John Dwyer, whom Hewitt regularly consults.

The right-hander's Australian Open hopes were blocked last year when he fell ill with chicken pox and was barely able to muster the energy to turn out to lose a frustrating first-round clash at Melbourne Park.

Hewitt has made no secret of his desire to add the Australian title to his impressive collection of US Open and Wimbledon trophies.

He will intensify his work over the next week with youngsters Ralf Durek, Todd Reid and Ryan Henry before turning his attentions to Italian Davide Sanguinetti at the Hopman Cup on Sunday.