2005 MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

January 14, 2005

L. HEWITT/M. Mirnyi
6-7, 6-3, 6-2

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton.

Q. What do you know about the next opponent?

LLEYTON HEWITT: About that (smiling). No, not a lot. I don't even really know what he looks like. So, yeah, Roger would have scouted a bit, though. I've got to go out there and play my game, and I'll work it out in the first couple of games, you know, what to expect from him.

Q. Are you happy with the way you played today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was good. It's a different kind of match against Max. I felt physically very good out there in tough conditions. I felt like that held me in good stead out there today. But, you know, it's never easy playing Max. He served extremely well there for most of the match. I had to just keep making him play, making him play, wait for my opportunities and in the end I started really seeing the ball pretty well.

Q. What do you make of these players pulling out? A few are out because of injury, some are out because of heat. You're a guy that went down in the first set and kicked on from there. What do you make of players doing this?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, everyone has their own reasons, I guess. But, you know, I feel fine playing in these conditions. You know, I feel physically as strong as anyone on the tour, I think. I've put in all the hard yards, I know what I've got left in the tank, and, you know, I felt like out there today I was lasting a lot better in the conditions than he was as well. So, you know, it's good going out in a match and knowing that your body is going to hold up. It gives you a lot more confidence in these conditions.

Q. Do you think it's fine for them if they think, "Well, it's too hot today and this is a lead-up to the Australian Open, I'll give it a miss"? Do you think that's reasonable?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't think it is. Depending on how bad an injury is. But who knows, you know? You don't know. I don't know. Only that person can actually know whether they can go out there and are going to make it worse for next week or not. If they're going to make it worse for next week, then that's a tough choice that they've got to make. Physically, I know there are a couple of people not feeling well, feeling sick, whatever. We can't say one way or another whether that's right or wrong; only they really know.

Q. Do you think it's a mark of your game that you could drop the first set in conditions like these and then fight even harder after that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think so. It's always been, you know -- I'm sure Max knew after the first set that I wasn't going away, even though I lost in the tiebreak. You know, had more opportunities at the end of the first set than he did. You know, I think a lot of guys know that I'm not going to go away. That can only help me, I think. It's a matter of being mentally tough. I know a lot of guys out on the tour today would have thrown in the second set knowing that there's a Grand Slam to get ready for in a couple of days' time, but, you know, that's just not me.

Q. Speaking of the Grand Slam, have you had a chance to look at the draw?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I only saw, you know, I know I play Clement first round. So, yeah, played him three weeks in a row so we know each other's games pretty well.

Q. Do you feel confident about that first-round match, having beaten him twice in the past fortnight?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I probably feel a bit more confident than he does.

Q. Did you also note that you were in the opposite half to Roger Federer?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I saw that, yeah. Yeah.

Q. Is that a good thing?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You got to win seven matches to win a Slam, so...

Q. You follow the sun most of the year anyway. When it gets like this in Australia, how does that compare to other parts of the world?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, this is as hot as it probably gets. Cincinnati maybe, that's about the only place, I think, that could get hotter. You know, Cincinnati is very humid and very hot nearly every time we play there every year, I think. That's the only place off the top of my head that I can think - especially on a hard court. I think the difference here in Australia is the Rebound Ace. It's at least 10, 15 degrees hotter on court than it is sitting in the stands purely because of the Rebound Ace surface. So, you know, it's probably hotter in Cincinnati a couple of times that I've played, but the actual court surface here in the Australian tournaments probably makes it a little bit hotter.

Q. Do you think it's a case of the players not preparing well enough for the conditions that present themselves every year here and in Melbourne?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Could be a little bit, but it's tough for them as well when they have to come from Europe where it's minus degrees over there at the moment. So to come and expect to play your best tennis straight off the bat under these conditions, you know, it's never going to happen. I think a lot of the guys, especially the experienced guys, they know how to prepare for a major.

Q. Do you think you're as ready as you've ever been for the Australian Open, or perhaps even better prepared than ever?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. There's been times, I think, when I've been hitting the ball as well going into the Australian Open. Last year I was playing well going in; I ran into a guy in the Round of 16s by the name of Federer. So, you know, even the year before when I lost to El Aynaoui, you know, I was hitting the ball well. So, you know, you still got to take it one match at a time and not get too confident, I think, in where your game's at going into it. Slams can be different to any other tournament.

Q. It's a minor issue, but the foot faults, we saw Roger talking to the ATP guys and also had a look at a few tapes. Anything out of that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I saw a couple on TV a couple of nights ago on one of the news stations. It was that far from being a foot fault that, you know... I don't know anything about tennis if that's a foot fault. So, you know, that was disappointing to me to actually see it. Because I think they got cameras on the side of the line, on the side of the baselines there. To actually see, you know, six or seven calls and all be wrong, then, yeah, I start doubting how the officiating is really going here. Yeah, but, you know, in all my matches I've been able to block it out extremely well. Even today to know that, you know, that's how I lost my service game - the only service game of the match I lost was on those two foot faults. A lot of people, I think, would have backed away, got the shits with it, and packed it in. To my credit, though, I hung in there and it probably made me more motivated out there.

Q. The fact that you've actually performed better at the other three Slams than you have in Melbourne, does that make you even more determined at the Australian Open?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. Not for that, I don't think. You know, just because it's the Australian Open, it's my national title. I've been going there for so many years since I've been a kid. You know, I get a buzz walking into Melbourne Park every time I go there, whether it's the Australian Open or Davis Cup ties. So I don't think my results at the other three majors sort of have an impact on how much I want to do well at the Australian Open.

Q. You say you don't know much about Ivo Minar's game, but having seen him play, are you able to say what his strengths or weaknesses are?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I haven't seen him play.

Q. You've never seen him play?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No.

Q. What do you think about that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: My coach has seen him play, and I'll know what to expect come tomorrow.

Q. What has he said?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I haven't spoken to him yet. I just got off the court.

End of FastScripts….

 

2005 MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

January 13, 2005

L. HEWITT/T. Johansson
6-1, 7-6

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton.

Q. It looked pretty tough out there, second set.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was tough but I felt like I had all the chances then as well. Was probably only one game that I didn't have breakpoints or Love-30 in the whole second set. Could have easily been, you know, 6-2, 6-3 at least in the second set. But he came up and played some, you know -- was only probably one chance that I had in the breakpoints in the second set. The rest of them he played great tennis. He came up with a couple of half-volleys and low volleys there, especially at 5-4 when I had 15-40, couple of breakpoints there. You know, he's a class player.

Q. If the tiebreak had gone a long way, would you have minded a third set?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I would have preferred to win in straight sets, no doubt about that. But I would have been going as hard as possible to, you know -- I felt like I was a lot better player out there today the whole match. I felt like I played extremely well the first set. Things went my way in the second set; I felt like I played just as well. He raised his game. I had a lot of opportunities to get that break and wasn't quite able to get it, but I felt like it was just a matter of time. So in the third set, I would have been disappointed if I lost the second set, but then again I would have just dug deep and waited for my opportunities again.

Q. I think that's something like 18 games in a row or something. Is there any particular thing you like about these courts?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Matches in a row, is it?

Q. Yeah.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I've won a lot of matches, I know, here. I don't know. I really enjoy the stadium here. I think it's a great center court. It's a great atmosphere. Yeah, I don't know if I can pinpoint one thing, though, that really sticks out, but I really enjoy coming back and playing this tournament every year.

Q. Max Mirnyi next. He has a pretty good record against you.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. I think it's 2-1, his favor. So, yeah, the last match we played was Montreal maybe a year and a half ago, I think. I think he won that maybe 7-5 or something in the third set. It's never an easy match against Max. He's an awkward opponent. Got to return well, pass well, move well, try and make him play a lot of balls out there. It's a different situation because the last two days have been extremely hot and I've played good tennis to beat two very good opponents, whereas he's had two forfeits. Which way that's going to go, in whose favor, I'm not sure.

Q. Two forfeits, is that an advantage for him or a disadvantage? You were in a similar position last year.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I didn't really have it, you know, that much last year. I had three forfeits but the first one I was a set and a break up, it was all over. The next one against Moya, it's a little bit different in a final anyway. So I don't really know which way it would favor anyone.

Q. Would you be happy if it was this hot for the next couple of weeks?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it doesn't bother me too much. I think I'd handle it a lot better than a lot of other guys.

Q. For that reason, would you prefer it?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I'll take whatever comes, you know. Yeah, the odds are that I'm going to be playing, if I can last in the Australian Open, I'm going to be playing quite a few night matches anyway. So whatever the weather brings, you know, I'm ready for.

Q. If you had a preference, would you prefer to be scheduled to play during the day at Melbourne Park?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Doesn't matter. I understand that quite often they're going to want me to play night matches. It's a great atmosphere playing at night, there's no doubt about that. Depending on opponents, I wouldn't have a clue at the moment - you don't know until the day before anyway who you're going to be playing - as the tournament goes on, whether it's going to be better, the conditions for me, playing in the heat or not, whether that's going to be in my favor or not.

Q. Do you get a say about the schedule?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not a whole heap. Normally, nine times out of ten they want me to play at night, especially if you're playing someone that's pretty well-known as well.

Q. Everyone's talking about Federer, but who else can you identify as being your main rivals at the Australian Open? Who do you think has got a good chance?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I don't know. You know, obviously the handful of guys that were at the Masters Cup, I think. You know, they're in as good a shape as anyone, I think. Roddick is obviously No. 2 seed. He's going to be in with a big shot. Safin played extremely well at the end of the year, had a great match with Federer in the Masters Cup semifinal. He's going to be tough to beat again. Agassi, I don't know if you can ever count him out of the Australian Open. He enjoys playing in that situation. Nalbandian, I wouldn't write him off. I've got a lot of time for him as a player as well. There's always going to be a couple of outside guys there causing trouble. Carlos Moya is going to be tough to beat. He's played well on Rebound Ace in the past. There's a handful of guys. You never know if the draw is going to open up in the second week or not as well.

Q. Do you think Joachim Johansson has a chance?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. Depends how bad his injury is.

Q. Semifinal at the US Open.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, mate, he played extremely -- he's had an unbelievable year, all of last year. To think that he lost in qualifying in Adelaide a year ago, just over a year ago, then comes out and he's 11 in the world now and, yeah, he's got a great game. He's dangerous on any surface against anyone on any given day. So, yeah, he's handled the situation in big matches such as beating Roddick in America at the US Open. Is not easy, beating him in five sets in a quarterfinal. So I think he handles the situation pretty well.

Q. Pending his injury, you'd throw him into the mix?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I'd throw him in the mix. Whether he can win it, I don't know just at the moment. He's definitely a dangerous floater, yeah.

Q. Still concerned about the court speed in Melbourne?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I'll play on whatever I've got to play on.

CRAIG GABRIEL: Ladies and gentlemen, I just want to let you know that the person who bought today's racquet at Lleyton's auction was one of our media assistants, Belinda.

End of FastScripts….

2005 MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

January 12, 2005

L. HEWITT/A. Clement
6-2, 6-4

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Bit of a strange match in terms of winning five games in a row a couple of times.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, just momentum, I think. Momentum changes so much, and I think on days like today, where it's so hot out there on court as well, you know, once you start getting down on yourself a little bit, you can just snowball. When you're positive out there, it's a lot easier to play good tennis and win a lot of games in a row, I think, in these conditions today. In the end, I should have broke him to get back to 3-2. Second set, wasn't quite able to do it from 15-40. Waited on my opportunities, played a good game to get back to 4-3. 4-All, played another good game to break. It's a lot nicer than still being out there, going through a third set today as well.

Q. You were saying yesterday that you're enjoying the heat and you were hoping it would get hotter. It was obviously tough, though, out there today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, but, you know, this is what you expect in the Australian summer though, as well. You know, it's pretty enjoyable to play out there, though, for myself. I know I've done all the hard work. I've prepared as well as possible. So physically I felt fine out there but, you know, then again, you've got to back it up. From what I see in the forecast, it's probably going to be as hot as this for most of the rest of the week here in Sydney anyway. I look forward to playing in these conditions, though.

Q. Did the foot faults concern you? Is it something you discussed with your coach or anything like that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. We've laughed about it a bit, you know, only because, once again, it only happened down one end. You know, if it happened down both ends, then I can, you know, understand. But my action is no different to where it is. And after yesterday I even stood further back today than I did yesterday. So, yeah, I don't know...

Q. Is it the same linesperson as yesterday?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I think it was a different one today - I think.

Q. You were talking to the umpire early in the match. Did you ask for a replacement?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I just asked whether it could be only because -- you know, if it happened down both ends, then I can fully understand. But if it's only happening up one end, and then when they actually did the -- everyone changed, all the linespeople changed, I didn't get foot faulted again. So, yeah, it's not like I changed my action during a match.

Q. Next match, they're on court at the moment. You played both guys before, I suppose. But any thoughts on both of those guys?

LLEYTON HEWITT: If Wayne gets through, it's obviously good for Australia; we'll have one guy at least in the semifinals. But, you know, it's always tough playing other Aussies, especially in our own tournaments, I think. You know, but we've practiced so much with each other in the past and at Davis Cup ties, and we get along extremely well. So you just got to try and block it out as much as possible. Against Johansson, I've got a lot of time for him. He's a hell of a player. He's got all the shots. He's a great returner. For a smaller guy he's got a very big first serve as well, gets a lot of power from it. We've had some tough matches in the past that have probably gone my way a little bit more, but I expect an extremely tough match against Thomas.

Q. Wayne said he nearly beat you here a few years ago. What is your recollection of that match?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was tight. I think the first two sets were tiebreaks - I think. I ended up getting away from him a little bit in the third set. He won the first set, whether 7-5 or 7-6, I'm not sure. Then he might have had breakpoint late in the second set as well on me. So with his serve, if he gets up a set and a break, he's going to be tough to beat at any stage. But, you know, we played -- like I played Clement in Adelaide and Sydney, that year I played Wayne in Adelaide and Sydney as well. I don't think I've played him probably since then either.

Q. At this stage of the tournament, how are you feeling in comparison to this stage of the tournament last year?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I can't remember that long ago. I'm sure I'm feeling the same - fine. Yeah, I think I won both my matches in straight sets the first two rounds last year as well. So, yeah, probably pretty similar.

End of FastScripts…

2005 MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

January 11, 2005

L. HEWITT/K. Beck
6-1, 6-2

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Happy with the way you're playing today?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was good. Different match, though, to playing Taylor last week. You know, obviously, you know, his strengths, counterpunching as well out there, try to make a lot of balls. He tries to sneak into the net now and then, whereas Taylor just comes at you the whole time. You know, I felt like I moved the ball around well, though, today. That was my first hit on center court since I've been here, so got off to a pretty good start. And, you know, could have probably been even a little bit easier out there. Had a lot of opportunities to get that double-break in the second set and just wasn't quite able to take it.

Q. How does the surface here compare with the surface in Adelaide?

LLEYTON HEWITT: At the moment I'd say this is probably slower again than Adelaide. I've only had one hit on center court, though, but from what I've heard from a lot of the players, you know, they're saying it's a lot slower.

Q. Tennis Australia say that they've attempted to speed up the courts in Melbourne. Is that good news, do you think? What do you think about that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, I'm not going to comment on that anymore. I've made my say, and, you know, at the end of the day I'm going to go out and play and do what I've got to do next week on whatever it's playing. You know, I think everyone knows how I feel about it.

Q. You seemed pretty pumped up with the crowd there. Is it great just to be back out there having a go?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's always nice playing in Australia. I love the Australian tournaments. And, you know, I go out there, we had some pretty -- some tough points out there today as well. There was a couple of points worth getting pumped up about. So, you know, I enjoy coming back here and playing in Sydney. I've got a pretty good record. I think it's a great atmosphere. It's a great center court.

Q. What about your foot faults?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You tell me.

Q. Well, I mean, were you disappointed? Do you feel they were bad line calls?

LLEYTON HEWITT: If it happened at both ends, I'd probably agree. But when it only happens at one end, then I start questioning a little bit.

Q. Speaking of being pumped up, you've put on a few kilos over the last couple months. How much has it helped you, or is it too early to tell?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't think it's just going to help overnight. I think it's something that I think is just going to help throughout my career now, from now on, I think. It's going to help on other surfaces. I think clay, it's going to help a lot more. Yeah, I think it's just going to help my game, full stop. I don't think there's going to be any negatives to it at all. But I don't think it's something that's just going to help this preparation leading into the Australian Open; definitely can't hurt it, though.

Q. Is this the first time you played in the sleeveless shirts this season?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Hmm (nodding).

Q. First time you've played tournaments in a sleeveless shirt?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Last week, yeah.

Q. Do you enjoy it? Is there any difference at all?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't notice a lot of difference. I've been training in sleeveless shirts pretty much throughout December so I just got used to it basically. And, yeah, Nike leave it up to me pretty much with what I want to do and what I want to wear at the Australian Open next week. So we'll just have to wait and see how I feel.

Q. Would you have worn it three or four years ago?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Are you saying I wasn't big then or (laughter)? I don't know. Yeah, I don't know (smiling). I wouldn't have been allowed to wear them three or four years ago. It's only come in in like the last two years on tour that you're actually allowed to wear them.

Q. What about the colors? Looks suspiciously like Port Power colors.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I wouldn't have chosen that, would I? No, I got a lot of different colors in my bag. And, yeah, today I just didn't feel like wearing a black shirt in the heat out there today. Got white ones and green ones. Yeah, might have a different color next week as well so, you know...

Q. Roger have anything to say about the fact that they're his team's colors?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, nothing. We don't really talk about that right before a match.

Q. Is Jaslyn here this week or is she doing qualifying?

LLEYTON HEWITT: She left yesterday, I think.

Q. I was going to say, if you're playing the same time Joachim is playing, who would you expect her to go and watch?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know, I really don't. We haven't had to worry about that too much, but I think I've got a big enough entourage that I feel fine for her to go and watch Joachim.

Q. How was the heat out there today? Did it feel any different to you?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, it was nice. I didn't play in hot weather last week in Adelaide, so it was nice to get back and actually feel like an Australian summer out there. I enjoy playing in the heat. From what I've seen in the forecast, it's going to get a little bit hotter for most of the rest of the week anyway. I enjoy these conditions.

Q. You'll play Arnaud next. Will you do anything different than last week?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I'll try and win in straight sets this time. I just got off to a slow start last week. But, you know, he's not a normal qualifier, he should be in the draw. I've got a lot of respect for his game, and he obviously plays extremely well on Rebound Ace. He's had good results always at the Australian Open. It's not going to be an easy match at all. It's going to be even tougher because he's come through another three rounds of qualifying here, you know, as well as Adelaide. His confidence is up, he's played a lot of matches over the last two weeks. I've got to go out there and hopefully play a bit better than I did last week against him.

Q. What's the difference, do you think, between playing a tournament here and being guaranteed three matches at the exhibition in Melbourne?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. I think this just suits me better personally. You know, I think everyone's different. Obviously, last year, it didn't -- it was good preparation for Federer. He goes on to win the Australian Open, and he obviously feels extremely comfortable playing at Kooyong. Agassi has always done it. Everyone's different. You know, I just feel like I really enjoy this tournament. I enjoy playing, you know, on center court, and I enjoy playing in Sydney as well. So for me this is good preparation.

Q. Which parts of your game are you looking to fine-tune this week before Melbourne?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, you just want to keep your confidence up, I think, more than anything, can keep your rhythm there. You know, you've done pretty much all the hard work leading into the two tournaments coming into the Australian Open. You're not going to be tweaking that much when you're actually out there now. It's just a matter of getting your confidence to that level where you want it to be going into Melbourne next week.

End of FastScripts….

2005 MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

January 10, 2005

LLEYTON HEWITT

THE MODERATOR: Please open it up for questions for Lleyton Hewitt.

Q. What sort of off-season did you have? How much was relaxation and how much was work? What did you do?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I was training most of the time. I probably only had a week or so off after coming back from Houston. I went to Scott Draper's wedding up in the Gold Coast, and then apart from that I was back training most of the time. I did a lot of off-court work to start with, and then built it up on court. And, you know, just still kept it in the gym and a lot of running as well, you know, swimming, a lot of different stuff. But, you know, it's probably as good a chance as I have to, you know, really have a good, you know, three weeks, I guess, of solid off-court training. Through the year it just gets harder and harder to keep that, so you want to get a good base for that whole year, and then you can just maintain it.

Q. Do you feel you worked harder during that time than you might have done in previous years?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I probably worked harder. But I think, you know, going into the Davis Cup final last year I probably -- that was as hard as I trained then, I'd say. I had about seven or eight weeks between the two, Davis Cup semi and final last year, and I trained as hard as I've ever trained in that period, and I think it showed. But, you know, that held me in good stead for that whole year, and hopefully this is going to be -- you know, do the same. I've got a few weeks off after the Australian Open, so my plan was to get into training as soon as possible, get ready for the Australian summer, make sure I can last the four weeks, then I can put my feet up for a couple of weeks.

Q. You look physically bigger. Was that a focus and is that making a difference on the court?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't know if it's just happened all of a sudden within two weeks. It's been something Roger and I have really built up, I think, the last 18 months or so. But it's probably showed more, I'd say, the last six months or so really. And, yeah, it definitely helped me throughout the US summer, I think, the way I played the Masters Cup at the end of the year. We've just tried to build it up a little bit more, I guess, through this season because you don't get to do that much, especially weight work and stuff, you know, coming from a football background, I guess, than a tennis background a little bit more. So you don't get to do that training throughout the year that much, so it's good when we get a couple weeks off we can afford to do it.

Q. Do you feel you're hitting the ball harder? Do you feel more muscular?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. I think it's, you know, movement-wise. In tennis, I think your core stability is very important. If you're very strong through your midsection, then you're going to be out there. And especially on a clay court surface, that's where you have to slide and hit the ball. That's only going to help in the future; it can't hurt. I think it's only a positive, and I think that's one area that we've really tried to work on.

Q. A lot of people at your level of sport are always concentrating on the next game, the next step ahead. To what extent does beating Roger Federer in a major play in your mind when you focus on the Australian Open?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not a lot, you know. There's still that many players -- you know, I've never made it past the Round of 16 at the Aussie Open. So if I was to lose in the Round of 16, I wouldn't be losing to Roger Federer this year so I don't really have to worry about that just at the moment. My main focus, there's so many guys out there that can knock you off on any given day. You've really just got to go out there and not worry about one guy. At the end of the day, if I get to a semi or final, Roger might not be there anyway. So you've just got to focus on your game at the moment and get your game as good as possible, do all the right preparations, stay positive out there, stay confident, and then hopefully when the time's right, you know, tennis is a sport where you've got to -- every opponent is different, everyone has different styles of game and you have to worry about that every day. To come out and just think that you've got to worry about Roger Federer, then at the end you probably won't get to have a crack at him anyway.

Q. How difficult is it to time your preparation for the Australian Open?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think Slams are different, though. You get in Slams and the first week you've just got to find a way to win. You know, you can't win a Grand Slam in the first week, you can only lose it. So you've got to go out there and find a way to get through your first at least two or three matches. You put yourself in a position to be in the second week, and then I think the cream rises to the top then. That's when you see the best players playing their best tennis, throughout the second week of a Slam. That's what I'll be trying to do. Once again, I haven't passed the Round of 16 at the Aussie, so first things first. We want to get in a position to be able to compete against, you know, the Top 10 players.

Q. Is pressure the main reason why you never made it past the Round of 16 at the Aussie Open?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know. There's a lot of reasons. One's called chicken pox.

Q. Apart from that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Another is called Roger Federer. Every year, obviously, there's different reasons, mate. So two years ago I lost to El Aynaoui who played a freak match. There's not too many matches I don't break serve for four sets of tennis. That's been the last three years, when I've probably been in the best condition to do well at the Australian Open. So you've just got to look at it as a whole. I think I've played enough big matches in Australia that the pressure of playing in Australia doesn't bother me at all.

Q. How would you compare your preparation this year to previous years?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I've done all the right things off the court training-wise. Couldn't be happier. You just got to go out there. And, you know, I felt last week I played okay; didn't play my best tennis, but I played okay. Was a strange match against Dent. I felt like I was the better player definitely for the first set and a half and just didn't show on the scoreboard. But, you know, not a lot of guys play like Taylor either where you just get absolutely no rhythm. So, you know, I'm looking forward to this week, and hopefully come out here and get some more matches under my belt and try and get on a bit of a roll, I guess, going into Melbourne.

Q. What are you expecting from Karol Beck tomorrow?

LLEYTON HEWITT: A tough match, like every match. It's not going to be easy. I played him in the Round of 16s at the US Open a few months ago and he's a tough player. He hits the ball pretty flat. Both sides are probably as good as each other. He's got an underrated first serve. He works extremely hard, like a lot of those Slovakian and Czech guys. So it's not going to be easy, but, you know, I'll just try and go out there, play my game, worry about myself, and hopefully I can come away with a win.

Q. What's a good week here, winning a title or getting the matches you need, the right amount of practice?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I'm not going to be disappointed if I win the title, that's for sure. That's obviously a huge bonus. To have winning form going into a Slam I think is a good thing. But then again, you know, if you get matches under your belt, you can get three matches or whatever, and you feel confident in the way that you're hitting the ball, you know, I don't think that's a bad thing.

Q. These two weeks before the Open, is it something that you're still sort of tweaking, and is it of concern whether to play or not the first week and the second week of the season? Is that something you're still thinking about?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. This year it wasn't a concern for me. My mind was made up pretty early what I was doing. It was great to go back and play in Adelaide again, I really enjoyed it. Getting to stay at home and that as well makes it a lot easier. You know, it was a really relaxed atmosphere, I guess, going into where there's a lot of pressure and expectation in a couple of weeks' time. Sydney, I've always played well here. I really enjoy the center court hhere, I enjoy the atmosphere. Yeah, so this year was a pretty easy couple of decisions for me.

Q. Do you look forward to the Australian Open, maybe those two weeks are the two most enjoyable weeks for you during the year, or is there some other tournament you would rather be playing in?

LLEYTON HEWITT: It's definitely up there. That's probably the one tournament -- I think Wimbledon is the other one that probably comes close for looking forward to it, I think, so much. Those are probably the two tournaments I look forward to the most throughout the year.

Q. How would a win at the Australian Open compare to a win at Wimbledon? Wimbledon is obviously the blue ribbon of the Grand Slams, but this is your home one.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's hard, you know, I don't know if you compare any of the Grand Slams. I think you take any one of them. And now that I've been able to get a couple of them, the Australian Open would definitely be the next one I'd love to get. A national title at Melbourne Park, no Australian's won at Melbourne Park before, yeah, it would obviously mean a lot. But you don't want to start looking too far ahead, though.

Q. Last season it looked like you were playing as well as you've ever played. You've got the wood over the world No. 2, but it was the other guy that you kept running into. The fact that you had to play Federer so many times in the majors, do you think that was the only thing stopping you? And do you think you're playing as well as you played last season?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, he was the only one stopping me, but then again, you know, otherwise I'd be No. 1 in the world. So the way you look at it, you've got to beat everyone. You've got to beat the best player in the world to win majors. There's no doubt that right at the moment he's the best player in the world. The last 18 months, he's been the stand-out. I think everyone else as a group probably behind that has been very competitive with each other, but Roger has just taken the game to another level. That's what motivates everyone to stay up, try and compete with the best players and keep fighting for the major titles. Last year was probably as consistent a year as I've ever had, right through, even when I was No. 1. The way I played in the Slams, I probably could have nearly made a couple more semis or finals if I didn't bump into those guys - Federer and Gaudio, early. If I knocked into them in a semi or final, you know, it would have made my results look probably a little bit better as well.

Q. Does a succession of losses to one player sort of beat up on you mentally, or can you say, "This is a new year"?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Doesn't beat you up, especially when -- there's no shame right at the moment in losing to Roger. He's a hell of a player, and he's going to go down as one of the greatest. You've still got to try to work on your game, though. That still drives you more than anything, to try to come out and find a way to beat him. And, you know, obviously he's going to have a lot more pressure on him as well this year to try and back up what an incredible year he had last year. That's not going to be an easy thing for him to do, but he started all right in the first week of the year.

Q. Would it help if he was a jerk? He's such a nice guy, everybody seems to like him, do you think you'd get more fired up if he was a real turkey?

LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't know about (smiling). No, I don't know about that. For him, probably being a nice guy and pretty quiet, that probably helps his game as well, the way he plays the game. Maybe if he was a prick out there, he wouldn't have such good results.

Q. Did splitting up with Kim have any effect on your tennis?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Does it look like it?

Q. No.

LLEYTON HEWITT: All right, there you go.

Q. What is your main goal for this year?

LLEYTON HEWITT: You know, the Slams and Davis Cup, once again. You know, that's what drives you, that's when you want to play your best tennis. Davis Cup is going to be tough, there's no doubt about it. But, you know, I'm going to try to put ourselves in a position that way we can have another crack at it. Last year, was obviously disappointing to go out in the opening round and have to play a qualifying match. So to come back to Sydney, play in that first tie, that's one of my goals, especially just to get through that tie and put ourselves in a position to have another crack at it. But I know that's not going to be an easy thing. We're going to have some tough away ties coming up but, you know, I look forward to the challenge.

Q. Have you spoken to Mark about his injury, and is that a worry long-term for Davis Cup?

LLEYTON HEWITT: No. I spoke to him, I caught him the day after it happened, but at that stage there wasn't a whole heap that he knew. It was just sort of a wait-and-see thing. Obviously, to have to pull out of here, he's still in doubt for Melbourne from what I know, I would assume for Davis Cup it would be all right. But then you still want matches before you go into a Davis Cup tie where you've just got to play your best tennis straight-up as well. So, you know, hopefully he can be right for next week in the Aussie. If not, maybe those couple of American tournaments, indoor tournaments or whatever, before Davis Cup.

Q. Is what you are experiencing here as home favorite for the Australian Open in any way comparable to maybe what Tim Henman is experiencing in Wimbledon, or you think you're still lucky here, it's not too big?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's a little bit, you know. Henman puts up with it pretty well, I think; he really does. They ride him the whole way, I think, over there. You know, he does an unbelievable job of handling the situation and playing some of his best tennis there. You know, I still think he probably gets put under more pressure than I do here. But, you know, in the past I've probably had a couple of other guys to spread it out such as Rafter and Philippoussis and these guys, whereas Tim is pretty much himself most years. That's probably been the difference.

Q. Every year it's getting worse and worse for Tim. Do you have that feeling?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. You know, I'm only 23 at the moment, too, so hopefully I've got a few more cracks at it.

Q. If Mark doesn't play, that might put more on to you this year as well. Do you feel that or think about that?

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really. I think, well, not many people are talking about Mark winning the tournament either right at the moment. I think people are seeing maybe myself as the main Australian chance anyway. So, you know, that comes with it, you know. At the end of the day, there's not a whole heap I can do about it. You know, I like having a whole nation behind me anyway.

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