Rust in Hewitt's armour
June 13 2003
By Richard Hinds
London

In moments of exhortation, Lley ton Hewitt occasionally yells ''Come on, Rusty'', a reference to the character Rusty Griswald from the movie Vacation. In his first grasscourt matches since winning Wimbledon last year, that cry would have been appro priate for altogether different reasons.

Rusty was probably the best way to describe Hewitt's form during his first two matches at the Queen's Club tournament - first a characteristically determined 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-6) victory over Raemon Sluiter, then a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4 win over the big-serving Belgian Dick Norman. While that meant Hewitt's quest for a fourth consecutive title here was alive, in both matches he seemed ill at ease.

But, while that might be the consequence of an 11-month absence from grass - a gap widened slightly by Hewitt's decision to stay in Paris to watch girlfriend Kim Clijsters contest the French Open final - he was adamant it was not a sign that his game was slipping.

Hewitt became characteristically combative when it was suggested that some experts thought he was struggling.

''There are some pretty ordinary experts out there,'' he said after his opening match.

''(On clay) I only lost two matches, one to (Tommy) Robredo, one to (Fernando) Gonzalez, guys who can play the game,'' he said. ''So I wouldn't say they were the worst losses. Before that I had a break, won a Davis Cup match and before that I won Indian Wells and Scottsdale, so it hasn't been a shocking year. I don't know what you expect from me, mate.''

Hewitt also gave short shrift to suggestions that the pressure would be greater at Wimbledon given he was the defending champion.

''Whoop-de-do-da. Pressure is pressure, mate. I think if you are No. 1 in the world for 18 months there is a fair bit of pressure in that.''

So it was vintage Hewitt in the media room. Less so on the court, where after breaking Sluiter in the first game he found the Dutchman's solid all-court game difficult to overcome.

''I was trying to get my footing,'' Hewitt said.

''I wasn't quite as comfortable as I was at Wimbledon last year. I had a lot of matches and a lot of court time under my belt during Wimbledon. I think in the past I haven't felt as confident in my first one or two matches here but I played lesser opponents and he gave me a real run for my money.''

Having lost in the third round of the French Open, Hewitt spent the next week in Paris practising on boards.

While it may not have been the ideal grasscourt preparation, it is not a decision he regrets.

''That's not a decision, that's what's got to happen, it's as simple as that,'' he said.

''This is Queen's obviously, and the French Open is the French Open. And when your girlfriend is playing in such a big tournament, then there is really no option.''

Hewitt again shrugged aside concerns about the loss of coach Jason Stoltenberg, saying that he had learnt to guide himself on the court. At the same time, when asked if there was anything new or different his coach Roger Rasheed would bring, Hewitt was hardly ringing in his praise.

''Not a whole heap,'' he said.

Todd Reid's encouraging run came to an end when he was beaten in the third round by Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 6-1, 6-4.

But, having come through qualifying and beaten 10th seed Jan-Michael Gambill in the second round, this tournament could mark a significant breakthrough for the 19-year-old from Sydney, who had not won at a top-flight event in his six previous attempts.

''I'd never won a match before and now I've got two under my belt so I'm very pleased with myself,'' Reid said.

''Just to win my first one I was over the moon and now to win my second one against such an accomplished player was just great.''

It was only a few years ago that Hewitt was the young prodigy. Now he talks about Reid like an elder statesman.

''He's a good kid and he has got better since Malmo,'' said Hewitt.

''I think he's hitting the ball a lot heavier.

''I think he is doing little things Fitzy (John Fitzgerald) and Wally (Masur) told him to do and things that can improve his game.''

Reid will have to qualify to make the main draw at Wimbledon, where he won the junior championship last year.


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Intense pressure
By LEO SCHLINK in LONDON
13jun03

LLEYTON Hewitt is waging a desperate battle with Andre Agassi to retain the world No. 1 ranking – and guarantee Wimbledon's top seeding – after narrowly avoiding defeat in the Stella Artois Championship at Queen's Club.

Hewitt scraped past unseeded Dutchman Raemon Sluiter in a 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 7-6 (7-3) second-round cliffhanger to maintain both his hopes of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Stella title and a slender 10-point rankings buffer.

Hewitt, 22, and Agassi, 33, have already traded the No. 1 ranking this season and whoever has the best result at Baron's Court this week will enter the fray in 11 days as top seed at the All-England Club.

Hewitt, due to face 203cm Belgian giant Dick Norman overnight as Agassi squares off with fellow Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek, has 3910 rankings points to the American's 3900.

Hewitt posted his 24th win from 28 starts this season with a typically dogged approach to further improve a record which belies an odd theory suggesting the South Australian is having a bad year.

"It hasn't been a shocking year," Hewitt said, correcting a suggestive Fleet St critic. "I've won Indian Wells and Scottsdale and I've played only three tournaments lately and had only two losses to [Tommy] Robredo and [Fernando] Gonzalez – they're hardly bad losses on clay.

"There's some pretty ordinary experts out there."

Hewitt claimed five titles last season. Two of them materialised on the grasscourt swing – Queen's Club and Wimbledon.

The world champion has not lost a match at Queen's since 1999, when he was denied by Pete Sampras in an absorbing semi-final. Sluiter, however, almost had his measure – and could have restored Agassi to the No. 1 ranking.

"I knew before I went out there it was going to be a very tough match," said Hewitt, who won just three more points for the contest than his 63rd-ranked opponent. "He made the semi-finals here last year and he probably should have beaten Tim [Henman] in that match.

"I was trying to get my footing out there. It's not quite as comfortable as it was for me at Wimbledon.

"Winning gives me the opportunity to get another match under my belt. The more matches I play, the better off I'll be."

Hewitt, who conceded Sluiter would have accounted for a host of lesser players, dismissed suggestions he was feeling the pressure of an imminent Wimbledon defence, starting on Monday week.

"Pressure's pressure, mate. Whoop-de-do," he said. "When you've been No. 1 in the world for 18 months, you're used to pressure."

Hewitt said there had been no change in his routine or approach following the resignation of coach Jason Stoltenberg last week.

Hewitt's win overshadowed Sydney teenager Todd Reid's 6-1 7-5 triumph over American 10th seed Jan-Michael Gambill.

The reigning Wimbledon junior champion, 19-year-old Reid was due to face Australian Open semi-finalist Sebastien Grosjean overnight for the chance to clash with Hewitt in the quarter-finals.

Jason's still a great mate, he's just not my coach any more, says Hewitt.

June 12 2003

World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt insists his weekend split from coach Jason Stoltenberg was amicable, saying the pair would remain friends.

Stoltenberg, Hewitt's coach for 18 months, resigned after last week's French Open to return to Melbourne to spend more time with his family, leaving Hewitt's Wimbledon preparation in disarray. It is the second time in less than two years that Hewitt's coach has quit, with Darren Cahill, now coaching Andre Agassi, also leaving for family reasons. Asked if the split was amicable, Hewitt told BBC radio: "It was great. Jason's a great mate and it's going to continue that way."

His fitness trainer, former Adelaide professional Roger Rasheed, has stepped in temporarily but Hewitt said he was at a point where a full-time coach was not a necessity.

"I think I know how guys play enough and I know what to go out there and expect from myself and how pretty much to play my game and I don't think that's going to be too big a negative out there," Hewitt said.

"Roger's been helping me out with fitness . . . I've been hitting a lot with Roger over the last few years. I don't think it's going to be that big a change and I think Roger's probably pretty comfortable with it as well."

Hewitt is playing at the Queen's Club tournament, where he is attempting to become the first player to win the title four years in a row, before beginning the defence of his Wimbledon crown in 10 days.

"It's going to be enjoyable to go out there to a place that I have so many great memories," he said of Wimbledon. "I'm not putting any added pressure on myself of where I expect myself to be. I'm just going to take it one match at a time, see how the draw opens up, see what my chances are like and hopefully get better and better in each match."

AAP

Hewitt survives big scare against Sluiter

Top seed and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt had a major scare before keeping alive his hopes of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Stella Artois title.

Hewitt was stretched into a final set tie-break by Holland's world number 64 Raemon Sluiter in his second round match at Queen's Club.

Hewitt had failed to serve out for the match before recovering his poise in time to breeze through the decisive tie-break and earn a hard-fought 7-6 3-6 7-6 victory.

Hewitt would have relinquished his position as world number one to Andre Agassi had he failed to overcome the big-hitting Sluiter, who had beaten Hewitt on their only previous meeting in Stockholm last year.

The Dutchman recovered from an early break to push the Australian into a tie-break but wasted his single set point chance when he flopped a backhand into the net.

Hewitt's accuracy was way off in the second set and Sluiter was never in danger on his own serve. A double-fault from Hewitt presented his opponent with a double-break and the second set.

The pair once again exchanged breaks in the final set with Hewitt looking far from convincing.

His temper occasionally frayed and he punctuated his mistakes with cries of frustration before recovering his cool in time to book a third round meeting with big-serving Belgian Dick Norman.

Hewitt paid tribute to his opponent but said he was delighted to have had such a tough test in his first grass-court game of the season.

He said: "I knew it would be a tough match when I saw the draw and it took time for me to get my footing.

"I certainly didn't feel as confident as I was at Wimbledon last year but in the past I haven't had that confidence in the early matches.

"He gave me a real run for my money and it was a great opportunity for me to get a good match under my belt.

"There are a lot of people he would have chewed up today but I've probably been in the situation more than him and that kind of thing tells."

Hewitt Hangs On; Reid Stuns Gambill June 11

Lleyton Hewitt had to draw upon all of his experience to keep his hopes of a record fourth consecutive Stella Artois title alive after overcoming a close three-set battle with Raemon Sluiter.

The top seed eventually prevailed 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(3) after 2 hours, 9 minutes, having saved a set point in the first set tie-break as Sluiter's backhand volley drifted wide.

"I knew it was going to be a tough match as soon as I saw the draw," said Hewitt. "I've only played against him once in Stockholm and I played pretty average that day but he played very well. I saw him play against Tim [Henman] here in the semifinals last year and he probably should have won that match. So I knew it was going to be hard and that's exactly how it was."

Player of the Year

Hewitt, who received his 2002 ATP Player of the Year trophy after the match from tournament director Ian Wight and ATP Executive Vice President of Europe Zeljko Franulovic, showed exactly why he finished a second consecutive season as the No. 1 in the ATP Champions Race by winning the crucial points when it mattered.

Hewitt, the three-time defending champion at The Queen's Club, found himself 6-5 in the first set tie-break before three errors by the Dutchman cost him dearly. But Sluiter, a finalist earlier this year in Rotterdam, hit back in the second set to take it 6-3 and held two break points on Hewitt's serve for a 4-2 lead.

However, the 22-year-old Australian produced the goods when it mattered to get himself out of trouble, and, after two exquisite lobs in the next game, got what seemed to be the important break to lead 5-3.

But any thoughts that Sluiter would sit back and accept his fate quickly evaporated as Hewitt served for the match only to see the Dutchman attack his serve and break back to level matters at 5-5.

Commanding

As the deciding set headed into the tie-break, it was Hewitt who opened up a commanding 6-0 lead, and although Sluiter saved three match points, a backhand volley into the net by Sluiter booked Hewitt's place against Dick Norman.

"I thought he played really well today," added Hewitt. "I think there's a lot of people he would have chewed up today on grass."

It was also a good day for Hewitt's fellow countryman Todd Reid, who followed up his first ever victory on the ATP circuit against Nicolas Mahut on Monday with a second round with over No. 10 seed Jan-Michael Gambill.

Junior Champion

Reid, last year's junior Wimbledon champion who came through the qualifying competition at Queen's, advanced to the third round with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over the American. "I'm very pleased at the moment," said Reid. "To come here and win my first match against a player ranked in the Top 200, and now to beat a player like Jan-Michael Gambill who is a Top 50 player just feels great.

"My game plan was just to be aggressive and try and attack as much as possible. It worked out well today."

Reid, who will now meet sixth seed Sebastien Grosjean, added: "I've watched him play quite a bit but I'm not sure how he plays on grass, so I will just try to play my game and see how it goes."

Hewitt targets historic win

Lleyton Hewitt will create history at the Stella Artois Championships if he succeeds in defending his title.
The Australian would join John McEnroe and Boris Becker as the only players to lift the trophy four times, and become the first to win it four years in succession.

Hewitt, who lost in the third round of the French Open, says he is relishing his return to the grass courts.

"As soon as I arrived in London Wimbledon entered my mind but I am not thinking about that pressure at the moment," he said.

"It's a bit hard coming off clay onto grass but in the last few years I've been able to make the transition pretty quickly.

"It would be a tremendous honour to win the Stella Artois for a fourth consecutive year. The Queen's Club courts are fantastic year after year."

But with the London event attracting one of its strongest ever line-ups, Hewitt faces stiff competition for his trophy.

Andre Agassi has accepted a wild card for the event, the first time the world number two has done so since 2000.

The American will play the 1,000th match of his career on the 25th anniversary of the tournament, while Goran Ivanisevic will make his long-awaited return after a string of injuries.

""Usually I play very badly at Queen's but it's a great tournament, a nice club and there are always lots of people who come to watch," Ivanisevic said.

"I always hope to do well but it doesn't happen. I actually made the final one year (1997) - I don't know how I did, but I did."

Meanwhile, Britain's Tim Henman will be hoping to avoid a fourth final defeat, having lost to Hewitt in 2001 and 2002 and to Pete Sampras in 1999.

"It will be great to be back on the grass," said Henman, who found his form at the French Open following shoulder surgery.

"It's a tournament I really want to win. I've been to the final three times before and I want to go one further.

"It won't be easy, though, because Hewitt will want a fourth title and the rest of the field is always so strong."

Henman's compatriot Greg Rusedski will also be looking to put his injury problems behind him, but he admits his preparation for the grasscourt season has not been ideal.

"I have to put everything in perspective after all the injuries and just focus on the positives," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I'm just trying to play as many matches as possible - if I can play five or six before Wimbledon, that would be ideal."

Also looking for grasscourt practice will be Sebastien Grosjean, Xavier Malisse and Andy Roddick while big servers Richard Krajicek and Mark Philippoussis face each other in the first round.