WIMBLEDON 2002 ARTICLES
back to 2002 articles Wimbledon photo gallery
round 1 round 2 round 3 round 4 quarterfinal semifinal final
Lead up articles
Lleyton Hewitt knows what he does best, and prefers to stick with what comes naturally, but John Newcombe believes the key to Hewitt's grand slam success on grass will be the baseliner's willingness to embrace a more attacking style of game.
Newcombe, the three-time Wimbledon champion who in 1974 was also the last Australian top seed in the men's singles at the All England club, believes Hewitt needs to take a modified leaf out of the book of lawn tennis tactics that his friend and mentor Patrick Rafter followed into the last two finals.
"I think what Lleyton has to do to win Wimbledon is to be a little bit more aggressive than he has been in the past, because otherwise if he's just relying on counter-punching he gets involved in too many long matches and it takes too much out of him," Newcombe said.
"So he has to try and shorten some of the points, and the way to do that is to be a little bit more aggressive, but it's not his natural instinct to do that so he's got to fight against that.
"In Davis Cup you've got someone on the side encouraging you to do things that might go against the grain, but out on Wimbledon centre court you're all alone out there, and sometimes it's a bit hard to force yourself to do things that don't come instinctively."
Newcombe captained Hewitt in four grasscourt Davis Cup ties, which brought victories over the likes of Todd Martin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, but played no official role at last year's final in Melbourne, when Hewitt's surprise five-set defeat by Nicolas Escude set the tone for an unexpected 3-2 loss to France. Escude eliminated Hewitt in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year, and the pair is seeded for a rematch here next Monday.
"If you look at the Davis Cup final, Lleyton probably feels he could have been more aggressive in that match and not allowed Escude to be the aggressor all the time, but that's a learning experience and he's going to get around to doing that," said Newcombe, who considers Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras the three best bets.
"After that you've got Henman, Federer, a couple of other guys, but Lleyton's probably one of the three that you'd bet on," Newcombe added. "But the big thing is that it's a bit like the US Open: you've got to prove it to yourself that you can do it, and that's a roadblock you've got to come over.
"He's won tournament on grass so he knows he can win, but negotiating through two weeks of five-set matches on grass at Wimbledon is still something that has to be achieved. Eventually he's going to do it, eventually I think he's going to win Wimbledon, but whether this is the year or not we'll have to see. My gut feeling is that if he can make the semis, he'll win the tournament."
Hewitt's quest for a second major title starts today against Swede Jonas Bjorkman, who ended a wretched run of early-round losses by claiming the Nottingham grasscourt title last weekend, beating Andy Roddick and Wayne Arthurs, among others. He has promised Hewitt a fight, and the world champion will be expecting one, even if Newcombe is unperturbed.
"Lleyton's beaten Bjorkman four times, and hasn't lost to him, so I think it's a good match; gets you going, gets you started," Newcombe said. "You find out straight away how you're playing, what you need to work on. So it's not a bad match for him. It's a tough one, but it's OK."
Hewitt is apparently over the stomach virus that prompted his withdrawal from a tournament in the Netherlands on Friday, although the decision to limit his grasscourt warm-up to seven matches - compared with 10 last year - may prove a smart tactical move.
His decision to again play two successive lead-up tournaments straight after the French Open was labelled "a mistake" by Boris Becker, and also surprised another former champion, John McEnroe, writing a Sunday newspaper column, "because he did that last year, and looked a bit spent coming into Wimbledon".
We've got the power
By Bill Scott
June 23 2002
The Sun-Herald
Compatriots they may be but Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis share little
else in common. Hewitt's trajectory to the top of his sport has been decidedly
no-nonsense, while Philippoussis, four years his senior, has taken the inviting
side roads that don't always lead to success.
Hewitt, with his boyish blond looks, has proved himself the eager team player,
Philippoussis the darkly handsome loner who has often put career over country.
But tomorrow, on the lawns of Wimbledon, they will share a common purpose as
they begin their assault on the most revered prize in tennis.
A return to the faithful racquet of his teenage years and major modifications to
his snowboard-and-sportscar lifestyle could be Philippoussis' formula for
success as he returns to Wimbledon for the first time in two years.
While the Scud is honing his reborn game on grass in his first tilt at the
rankings since a double bout of knee surgery early last year, Hewitt will be
fighting to fulfil the Australian dream of victory at the All England Club. His
mate and mentor Pat Rafter, now in retirement, came desperately close in the
previous two editions of the drama-charged soap opera, losing out in the final.
Now, with Australians thin on the ground - serving threat Wayne Arthurs is the
only other direct entry into the 128-man field - Australia's two best contenders
at the grass-court grand slam are approaching the most prestigious of the four
majors from entirely different perspectives.
Top seed Hewitt - who completed a Queen's Club hat-trick last weekend to join
John McEnroe as a three-on-the-trot champion on the West London lawns - will be
riding the wave of confidence that comes naturally to the world No.1.
Philippoussis will be seriously testing the competitive waters after surgeons
cleaned up his left knee and he tidied both his lifestyle and his promising
game.
Hewitt is the lone Australian seed at Wimbledon, with a challenge in the form of
experienced grass-courting Swede Jonas Bjorkman awaiting in the first round.
Philippoussis - a quarter-finalist in his past three appearances - gratefully
accepted a wildcard entry. He will be hoping to dismantle Frenchman Julien
Boutter in the opening round.
"I'm thrilled, I'm very appreciative," Philippoussis said. "I'll
try to do as much as I can with it. I'll just give it my best. I haven't played
on grass for two years but I love it and Wimbledon is my favourite
tournament."
The former playboy has become something of a workaholic when it comes to his
born-again game. One problem only needs marginal attention: his knee.
"To be quite honest, it's feeling great," he said. "I've had no
problems. It does ache a little before I play, that's why I have to make sure I
warm it up properly. I don't even give it a second thought now."
Philippoussis, with coach Peter McNamara leading his game out from the
wilderness and his father, Nick, in his corner, has also switched back to his
old racquet. "It's the one I used when I was 17, 18, 19. I just wanted to
go back to my roots. When you're down in confidence and everything seems not to
be going your way, you just want to try and make life as simple as possible. I
wanted to go back to the racquet that I felt great with and felt comfortable
with."
After the Australian Open, the self-styled "big kid" made the mistake
of snowboarding in Whistler. The stress didn't do his delicate knee any good and
set back his comeback progress.
"After three surgeries - the third one a huge one - the last thing you
should be thinking about doing is snowboarding. I'm just a big kid and I can't
help myself. I threw all my snowboarding stuff away and I stick to surfing now.
Only thing you've got to worry about are the sharks."
But things have been looking up on grass, with Philippoussis beating Brits
Martin Lee and Greg Rusedski at Queen's before losing to Wayne Ferreira.
The 25-year-old Australian had not played on grass since 2000 in a Wimbledon
quarter-final loss to Andre Agassi, so early-round victories in the run-up count
for a lot.
"I've always felt comfortable on grass, it didn't take long to adapt. The
only thing I'm thinking about is Wimbledon, I want to stay in a positive frame
of mind," he said.
Positive is a sentiment Hewitt has by the truck-load - three titles at Queen's
with trophy victories over Sampras and twice against Tim Henman tend to do that.
"If I can get myself deep into the second week, I'll feel good about my
chances," Hewitt said. "I'll go to Wimby knowing I can win a grand
slam after the US Open last year."
The last Australian top seed on the lawns was Hewitt's hero, John Newcombe, in
1974, with the last successful Australian top-seeded winner Rod Laver in 1969.
Before that, Frank Sedgman, Lew Hoad, Ashley Cooper, Neale Fraser and Roy
Emerson all pulled it off.
Hewitt's steady relationship with girlfriend Kim Clijsters, along with support
from his parents and experienced coach Jason Stoltenberg, has helped to spread
Hewitt's focus past the court.
With the "Come on!" factor diminished, Hewitt looks well placed to do
damage at an event where he admits that his career-best fourth-round showing is
a disappointment.
"The early rounds are difficult and a good draw plays a part. If you get a
clay-courter who really doesn't want to be there, then you can sometimes sneak
through a few rounds," he said.
Himself aside, Hewitt - as much from respect as fear - won't write Pete Sampras
off. "You can't count him out, but there are also [Marat] Safin, [Roger]
Federer and Agassi. There are 10 guys who have chances of winning."
His current status as top man in the game at the end of last season is also a
morale boost. "It changes your attitude a bit. I realise that all of my
dreams came at once, before I was 21. Now, my focus is on peaking at the slams
and the Davis Cup. I want to play the best tennis possible at those times. I
take my hat off to Sampras and Agassi for staying at the top consistently for so
long."
Hewitt has been working to come good on the grass for what he considers the
second-greatest grand slam after Melbourne. So far, his course is set. "I'm
playing better and better on a daily basis," he said. "I've showed I
can win seven five-set matches at the US Open. I believe I can put it together
again at Wimbledon."
Hewitt can win: Fitzgerald
By Linda Pearce
London
June 23 2002
Lleyton Hewitt deserves to rank with Andre Agassi and seven-time champion Pete
Sampras as one of the three favourites for this year's Wimbledon title,
according to Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald, providing, of course, that he is
fit enough to play.
Hewitt's campaign begins against Jonas Bjorkman on Tuesday, but everything
depends on how swiftly he recovers from a debilitating stomach virus.
"Look, can he win? Absolutely he can win," Fitzgerald said of the top
seed. "Is he favourite to win? I don't know that anyone else deserves to be
more of a favourite. If he gets through the early rounds, I like his chances on
grass."
Fitzgerald believes there are about six contenders for the title, roughly half
the number considered capable of claiming last month's French Open, won by 22nd
seed Albert Costa. The Spaniard became the 10th different man to share the past
10 grand slams, and followed another unexpected winner, Australian Open winner
Thomas Johansson.
"If you were to start the year and say those two guys are going to win the
slams, you probably would have got 1000/1, so it's wide open," said Briton
Greg Rusedski. "There's a lot of guys who can play well at Wimbledon, but
there's probably about 10 really good grasscourt players. I like to put myself
in that category.
"I'm sure Sampras is very hungry to do well. I'm sure he'll play well, and
there's (Roger) Federer and a few other guys."
Including Hewitt, whose relative lack of power contributed to his fourth-round
downfall at the French Open, but has tended to cause him fewer problems on
grass.
On the quicker surface, Hewitt can stick largely to his preferred position on
the baseline, but feed off his opponent's pace.
"Players have to play with their style and do what they do best, and
Lleyton's never going to serve like Goran Ivanisevic, but it's the whole package
that wins you the tournament," Fitzgerald said.
"It's no good him trying to serve like Goran; that's not his strength, but
I think his serve is adaptable, and if it's good enough to win him the US Open,
it's good enough to win him Wimbledon.
"He's proven he can win on grass against the best players, but he needs a
start at Wimbledon, though. He's struggled to get into the tournament a little
bit. He's won leading up to it, but he hasn't gone a long way in the tournament
yet. But winning the US Open, breaking through and winning his first one, helps
no end."
Wayne Arthurs believes there are five main chances: Hewitt, Sampras, Tim Henman,
Agassi and Federer. On the rung below are the "floaters", including
wildcard Mark Philippoussis, Max Mirnyi, Nicolas Escude, and Arthurs himself.
Hewitt is reluctant to dismiss Sampras' claims despite the American's two-year
run without a title. "I still won't count Pete out. He's one of the top
contenders, that's for sure," Hewitt said.
"There's probably other guys who believe they can win it, though - only
because they saw Pete bomb out a bit earlier than he normally does at Wimbledon,
and I'm sure Roger Federer thinks he's got a pretty good chance. It's probably
10 guys who have a real chance of winning." Himself? "I hope so."
Australia had three women ranked highly enough to avoid the qualifying route:
Nicole Pratt plays qualifier Laura Granville, Alicia Molik meets Mary Pierce and
Evie Dominikovic is up against Serena Williams.
Hewitt Fixes Steely Stare on Wimbledon Title
Sat Jun 22,10:29 AM ET
By Ossian Shine
LONDON (Reuters) - When top seed Lleyton Hewitt bursts from the blocks at
Wimbledon ( news - web sites) Monday, the Australian will be well aware that
history is pointing him toward winning his first grasscourt grand slam.
Chances are, though, that the 21-year-old firebrand will be more concerned with
obliterating anyone or anything in his path than pondering any portents.
Besides, buoyed by a number one world ranking and with buckets of determination
and skill, Hewitt knows that he has everything he needs in abundance to become
the first Australian to lift the title since Pat Cash 15 years ago.
Those 15 barren years have been a long, long time for a nation which boasts
superpower status in the sport. Hewitt knows he can end the misery.
"I feel confident," he said with all the certainty of a man who tops
the world rankings.
"If I can get myself into the second week, I'll feel good about my chances.
I will go to Wimbledon in the knowledge that I can win a grand slam title after
my victory in the U.S. Open ( news - web sites) last year.
"I am a little more experienced on grass now, too."
Certainly, Hewitt's form on grass has come together. Last week he became only
the fourth man in history to win three successive titles at the Queen's Club
grasscourt event.
WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS
The only other men to have completed a Queen's treble were all Wimbledon
champions -- New Zealander Anthony Wilding, Australian Roy Emerson and American
John McEnroe.
"It's great," he said after beating Britain's Tim Henman ( news -
profile - photos) in the final. "Three years ago, I wouldn't have picked it
but I've got better every year from the first round to the final which is a good
sign for me."
Hewitt is the first Australian top seed since John Newcombe in 1974 and while no
Australian top seed has succeeded at Wimbledon since Rod Laver in 1969, Hewitt
has a wealth of precedents.
Laver managed the feat in 1962, 1968 and 1969, along with Frank Sedgman in 1952,
Lew Hoad in 1956-57, Ashley Cooper in 1958, Neale Fraser in 1960 and Roy Emerson
in 1964-65.
"I don't put any extra pressure on myself by being number one seed,"
he said. "I've already been seeded top at the Australian and French Opens
having won the U.S. Open last year.
"And that taught me I can win seven best-of-five matches to win a grand
slam...that his given me a lot of belief.
"I haven't been past the round of 16 at Wimbledon, though, so we will just
have to wait and see," added Hewitt who has played at the All England Club
for the last three years.
"I am looking forward to it, though. It is a unique atmosphere."
HEWITT'S NEMESIS
Hewitt will not be able to relax for a second if he is to succeed.
He drew Jonas Bjorkman ( news - profile - photos) in the first round and,
despite having won all four of their previous matches, Hewitt will be wary of
the Swede's returns which are among the best in the game.
In the fourth round could lurk his nemesis Nicolas Escude.
The Frenchman boasts a 3-2 record against Hewitt, including 6-4 fifth-set
decisions in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year and in the opening rubber
of the Davis Cup final.
Both matches, significantly, were on grass.
Then could come Henman, one of the few world-class serve-and-volleyers in the
draw.
Henman, three times a semi-finalist, has a comfortable draw with qualifiers in
his first two matches and only claycourter seeds in his immediate section.
He would, however, appear to have already given Hewitt the psychological edge if
they were to meet.
"He's the best in the world, it's as simple as that," Henman said
after losing at Queen's. "He's a phenomenal competitor...very tough."
With champion Goran Ivanisevic ( news - profile - photos) absent through injury
and twice runner-up Pat Rafter on an extended break, there are no champions or
even finalists in Hewitt's top half of the draw but the bottom half contains a
wealth of grasscourt talent.
Seven-times champion Pete Sampras ( news - profile - photos), world number two
Marat Safin, seven-times grand slam winner Andre Agassi ( news - profile -
photos) and twice grand slam champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov ( news - profile -
photos) are all stuck in the lower reaches of the draw.
Sampras has not won a title of any kind since triumphing in the 2000 Wimbledon
final to clinch a record 13th grand slam. Agassi suffered two painful defeats in
the semifinals in 2000 and 2001 and would dearly love to add to his 1992 crown
here.
Safin has never gone beyond the quarter-finals here but has a game that can blow
apart anybody else on the tour.
Whoever is left standing in the gladiatorial bottom half will well and truly
deserve a tilt at the title.
But if, as the seedings suggest, Hewitt is waiting for them on day 13, they had
better have kept plenty in reserve.
Head to head play is
all in the mind
By Ellis Cashmore
|
|
THERE are two Tim Henmans: the one who plays at Wimbledon and the one who plays
everywhere else. Lleyton Hewitt has met the latter five times and beaten him on
every occasion, most recently in the Stella Artois Championship at Queen’s
Club last Sunday.
However, he has never faced the former, an altogether more formidable opponent,
who seems to find new dimensions to his game when competing in front of a
baying, partisan crowd.
Should the players meet in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, Hewitt can expect a
game like no other he has played, as Henman attempts to become the first Briton
to reach the men’s singles final since Henry “Bunny” Austin in 1938.
Hewitt will face not only Henman at his most dangerous, but also the collective
will of the Centre Court crowd. The question remains: while Henman certainly
reserves his best tennis for the lush grass of southwest London, does the crowd
always work in his favour? The answer is not an unequivocal “yes”, as we
will see by examining five key issues.
Vicarious achievement The London crowd plays vicariously through Henman. He
appears to respond to their emotions, every “ooh!” and “aah!” eliciting
a response from the player. Watch him punch the air in recognition after playing
a good shot and drop his head, as if in shame, after a poor one.
Sometimes the crowd seems to be worth a 15-0 start to every game. Once he
establishes a winning sequence, the crowd lends Henman momentum, virtually
willing him to win every point. Yet there is a price. Henman carries with him
the considerable burden of others’ expectations every time he sets foot on the
court. And, when facing a setback, this can prompt dejection.
Fear of failure and success Henman acknowledges that he draws sustenance from
the crowd. The record book shows that he performs better here than at any other
venue. Yet the crowd also defeats Henman. Emotion is an enemy of rationality.
Very few competitors can use emotions, such as anger, elation or fear to their
advantage (McEnroe was one — his play improved when he was angry — Tyson
another, actually wanting to experience fear in the ring).
Henman sometimes appears to be on the brink of winning when he makes crass
errors or fails to make shots he was executing perfectly earlier in the match.
This failing is magnified against inferior players.
Fear of failing is a common downfall of athletes who are stricken by the high
expectations of others and fail to perform at their best. In Henman’s case, he
has been so close to winning a grand-slam title that he seems fearful of
success. The prospect of accomplishing his goal and succeeding in other
people’s eyes seems to terrify him.
Home advantage Although it is often assumed that crowds “get behind”
competitors, the evidence for this is inconclusive. Far more persuasive is the
research that suggests that playing in front of a loud, partisan crowd affects
referees and umpires. Officials are more likely to react to crowd noise and so
give decisions that favour home players. Knowingly or not, umpires and linesmen
are susceptible to the influences of the crowd in their decision-making. While
Henman’s impressive performances at Wimbledon are often thought to be because
of his positive response to the crowd, they may, in reality, owe more to the
crowd’s impact on the officials.
Confidence and overconfidence Hewitt is approaching the point where he can say
to himself conclusively that he is the superior player. He has defeated Henman
five times, three times in finals. This typically confers a colossal advantage
on the master of any rivalry. Hewitt’s confidence will be bolstered by the
thought that he even overcame a one-set deficit in his most recent victory over
Henman in the Stella Artois final. In other words, he has beaten him the hard
and easy ways.
Even if he drops the first or even first two sets at Wimbledon, Hewitt will be
thinking of his own invulnerability against this particular opponent. The mantra
he will keep repeating is: “This man can’t beat me.” This will stand him
in good stead in times of adversity — and there are bound to be fluctuations.
There is a danger of overconfidence. He has almost had it too easy against
Henman. The Briton pushed him to a tie-break win last year, but otherwise
Hewitt’s victories have been relatively comfortable. If he approaches a
Wimbledon meeting arrogantly, believing he cannot lose, he may become careless
and neglect the formula that has proved to be so successful.
Remember, Hewitt is no serve-and-volley practitioner. He wins his points by
speed, mobility, placement and an ability to retrieve seemingly lost points. He
needs to maintain a sharp concentration and a high work-rate throughout a match.
If he slackens off, even momentarily, against Henman, or begins the match too
complacently, Henman will sweep him away.
Mental toughness
While Hewitt’s record against Henman might suggest that he has his measure, he
has never beaten him at Wimbledon. Tennis players know each other well and
Hewitt will be aware of Henman’s record at the All England Club.
Surface is not the issue here. Although Hewitt learnt to play tennis on the hard
Adelaide courts, he excels on grass. His problem is that he seems to run up
against a wall at Wimbledon, where he has not progressed beyond the fourth round
in three attempts. He will recognise that Henman has better form at, and more
experience of, Wimbledon and that his form on grass is as consistent as anyone
else’s this year. Head-to-head record is only one of the factors; Hewitt will
know this. He will also realise that winning a grand-slam title requires more
than just being an excellent technical player. It means maintaining focus for
two weeks, overcoming the frustration of interruptions caused by bad weather,
refusing to succumb to the fatigue that follows consecutive days of play and
being able to play through lapses of form.
Ellis Cashmore is Professor of Culture, Media and Sport at Staffordshire
University. His book, Sport Psychology, was published earlier this month by
Routledge.
Record smashers
Since the move to the commentary box of John McEnroe, tennis has lacked racket-smashers
and umpire-abusers in equal measure. Fear not. Marat Safin is the likeliest
candidate to explode — he has broken more than 150 rackets to date.
Wimbledon’s grass courts will have big servers licking their lips. Greg
Rusedski is the world record holder with 149mph. He is followed by Mark
Philippoussis and Taylor Dent at 144mph, Andy Roddick at 141mph, Julian Alonzo
at 140mph and Richard Krajicek at 139mph.
Lleyton Hewitt: Beware of the kangaroo in boxing gloves
by NEIL HARMAN
 |
YOU can immediately recognise Team Hewitt by their baseball caps and dark
glasses. Mum, Dad, coach, best friend, physical therapist, trainer, agent, in
the requisite starched shirt, and girlfriend (though Kim Clijsters tends to go
bare-headed and without the sunshades).
They will be in his corner throughout the Wimbledon Championships and, quite
possibly, for the final itself unless someone gets under his skin early on or
Tim Henman lasts until the semi-finals and finds a chink in the otherwise
impregnable suit of armour that Lleyton Hewitt has worn for the past year or so.
When, aged 20 years and ten months, Hewitt became the youngest player in the
history of the ATP rankings to become world No 1, there were those who thought
it was a one-year one-off for the Australian — that he could not possibly
sustain his game of cat-and-mouse from the back of the court once the big boys
ganged up on him and thumped him.
Instead Hewitt has got stronger, more determined, less beatable; also, if that
werepossible, he moves faster, hits harder, and scowls more menacingly than
before. Antipathy towards his home Australian press hasn’t mellowed since his
junior days, but he uses it as a spur — he does not sit comfortably with those
reared on the gentlemanly likes of Rod Laver and Kenny Rosewall. In one
sentence, Henman summed him up perfectly: “If you took his game apart shot by
shot, you would say he doesn’t have an outstanding one, just lots of very,
very good ones. And then there’s the mental aggression, which, if you put them
together, is a great combination.”
Stepping on court against Jonas Bjorkman, of Sweden, in the opening round,
Hewitt will have played more matches — certainly won more — in the past two
weeks than anyone else in the field. He has followed his programme of 2001,
playing (and winning) at Queen’s Club before racing for the last flight on
Sunday evening to Rosmalen for the tournament in The Netherlands. “A
mistake,” Boris Becker, The Times columnist, believes. “What do you want
more matches for, staying in another hotel room — in the perfect preparation
you do not play a tournament in the week before a slam.” It would be
interesting to see a conversation between the pair of them arguing that
particular toss.
When he won the US Open last year, Hewitt set a benchmark for all aspiring
teenagers who think it’s cool to play tennis with spirit in your soul and
wings on your heels. A straw poll of the juniors playing the tournament, asking
them who they loved to see play on the pro tour, received a decisive answer:
Hewitt (although there is an occasional Safin or Ferrero thrown in for good
measure). But there is no doubting that the kid they see themselves becoming is
this 21-year-old making it big in a man’s world. He is where they want to be.
Hewitt is summed up by the flag waved for the first time on Arthur Ashe Stadium
court in New York — that of a “roo in boxing gloves”. Pat Cash lost to
Ivan Lendl in the 1984 semi-final at Flushing Meadow and recoils still at being
stranded at the net on match point in the fifth set, when the Czech ran up a
forehand topspin lob for the first time in the match to win the point and
effectively seal his place in the final. “It took me ten years of therapy to
get over it,” he said.
Hewitt simply swamped Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the semis, and then doused Pete
Sampras in the final.
Hewitt is more New York than Wimbledon. I have heard it said that he hasn’t
performed at the All England Club because he feels he can’t force himself to
let go there, to behave in keeping with the atmosphere of the championships. The
language, both of the body and the mouth, demands a little restraint at
Wimbledon, though perhaps he should look at a tape of Cash’s victory dash in
1987 and hang loose a little more.
Hewitt's serve on way to Wimbledon
By Linda Peace
London
June 22 2002
This is the interview Lleyton Hewitt did not want the Australian media to
hear.
It is the story, therefore, that he must not have wanted the Australian public
to read.
As only the British press were invited to the annual round-table discussion
held at Queen's Club, it can be assumed that they are: a) more important;
b) less critical; or c) both. But they have tapes, and we have ways.
Hewitt said nothing controversial, or particularly new, but the fact that he
again insisted on excluding the three Australian tennis writers covering the
event confirmed his continuing media paranoia.
The blacklist was completed by an English man who delved into Hewitt's
split from coach Darren Cahill last year.
The world champion's unyielding determination is all-consuming. No whiff
of criticism, however mild, goes unnoticed.
Next week, Hewitt will play at Wimbledon for the fourth time, and the
championships have so far equalled the Australian Open as his least
successful grand slam.
Despite a testing draw, which starts with Jonas Bjorkman and could
theoretically include Nicolas Escude, Roger Federer and Tim Henman just
to reach the final, the 21-year-old is the top seed and favorite.
His every word will be monitored, as will his on-court behavior, which has
not exactly been blemish-free.
Yet there have been few problems at Wimbledon, and it was not
coincidental that Hewitt admitted this time last year that he had felt slightly
inhibited by the history and prestige of the famous centre court.
His trademark boisterousness and belligerance had almost been nobbled
by the reverence with which he treated his surroundings.
Time to loosen up and be himself, he said. Hewitt appeared to do so 12
months ago, winning his first-ever match on centre in match against Taylor
Dent in a tight five-setter.
That was followed on the same court by a third-round defeat of Younes El
Aynaoui.
But Escude was waiting fatefully in the fourth, in the closer confines of
court two.
"I didn't lose on centre court last year," Hewitt told his British
friends at
Queen's.
"The Taylor Dent match was an electric atmosphere out there; I was really
pumped and Taylor was as well. The crowd was really into it, and it was a
great atmosphere to play tennis in. I played some of my best tennis out on
that court and I can't see why it's going to be any different this year.
"I think you don't lose the thought of the whole tradition and the feeling
of
Wimbledon, but for me to go out there and play my tennis and get pumped
up and play my best I don't feel that that's going against the tradition at
all."
Hewitt's loss to Escude brought the same fifth set scoreline - 6-4 - that
split the pair five month's later in the Davis Cup final in Melbourne.
"I had a lot of chances, and he served incredible second serves on big
points and you've got to take your hat off to that," said Hewitt, now being
coached by former Wimbledon semi-finalist Jason Stoltenberg.
"I just wasn't good enough and maybe I didn't match up too well against
him at the time. I didn't really feel like I played that bad a match; I just
didn't
play the big points well, and on grass that's a huge thing. You only get a
couple of chances to break, and you've really got to be right on song when
you get those opportunites."
As one of the two best returners in the game, Hewitt will always create
such chances, but what Henman describes as "an attackable second
serve" is perhaps his own area of greatest vulnerability.
Still, what makes him so formidable is his ability to pinpoint groundstrokes
past opponents attempting to chip-charge.
Counter-attack is his first nature, and only the best are able to deny it.
Hewitt's best, displayed during his US Open breakthrough last year, can
be almost flawless.
On clay, he needs to generate more of his own pace and power, although
the hardcourt-raised baseliner admits that grass, too, still feels
"foreign" at
times.
Success at Melbourne Park still heads his remaining grand slam
aspirations, but the nation's Wimbledon heritage looms large in his
Adelaide-raised psyche.
John Newcombe, the last Australian top seed at SW19, warned Hewitt
about a decade ago what to expect: the Rudyard Kipling poem in the centre
court entrance, the spectres of past champions, the royal bow, and the
rest.
"Back home I remember waking up and turning on the TV in the middle of
the night when I was 9, 10, 11, 12 years old, and watching Cashy and all
those guys, just dreaming that one day you'll be out there playing on centre
court," Hewitt said.
"To stand there and hold up the trophy which so many great players, let
alone so many great Australian players, have done in the past would be a
great honor."
In 1998, Hewitt lost in the first round of qualifying to Nicklas Kulti.
In 1999, he was beaten in the third round by the great Boris Becker.
In 2000, he fell in the first-round to Jan-Michael Gambill; last year, Escude.
It has, Hewitt says, been a good but gradual progression on grass, helped
by regular Davis Cup ties and a more recent recognition of his strengths.
"At the start I probably played a different game than I should have,"
Hewitt
said.
"I tried to play more serve-and-volley traditional grasscourt tennis, I
think,
and after that I sort of threw that out the window, I said 'stuff this, I'm
going
to play my game, that I know best, and I'm going to try and beat these guys
doing it'.
"And I've been able to beat most of the guys who are the best
grasscourters, especially at (Queen's) over the last few years, by just
playing my game and still working on little areas of my game that make me
a better grasscourt player, but I know what my base is, and I know what I
can sort of go back to if other things aren't working."
So there it is. The Hewitt Interview, which may or may not have been worth
the trouble, but whose presence in these pages will certainly have been
noted and filed away.
As Stoltenberg said recently to an American tennis writer, "the more people
get on his back, the better he'll play".
In the Australian media, Hewitt is fighting an imagined enemy.
His choice. So be it.
Top seed Hewitt faces nemesis
By LEO SCHLINK in London
19jun02
WORLD No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt was pitted into a possible fourth-round Wimbledon confrontation with his grasscourt nemesis Nicolas Escude last night.
Installed as Wimbledon top seed, marking the first time since John Newcombe topped the order in 1974 that an Australian has occupied the pole position at the All-England Club, Hewitt drew tough right-hander Jonas Bjorkman in the first round.
Despite holding a 4-0 win-loss record over fast-court specialist Bjorkman, Hewitt will be wary of the veteran Swede's quality volleying and sublime returning.
Should Hewitt survive Bjorkman on what are certain to be greasy opening-round courts, he would face either a qualifier or American Cecil Mamiit in the second round before meeting Finish talent Jarkko Nieminen in the third phase.
Then, should the seeds hold up, would come Escude.
The Frenchman boasts a 3-2 record against Hewitt, including 6-4 fifth-set decisions in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year and also in the opening rubber of the Davis Cup final. Both matches, significantly, were on grass.
Hewitt is seeded to play probably Swiss star Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, with Tim Henman or Swede Thomas Johansson lurking in the semis.
Henman earned the softest possible draw, with appointments with qualifiers in his first two matches and only claycourt seeds in his immediate section.
Mark Philippoussis will play Frenchman Julien Boutter for a chance to test Swede Thomas Enqvist, while Wayne Arthurs will play American Mike Russell, who he beat at Queen's Club last week, and would then face 12th seed Jiri Novak.
Seven-time winner Pete Sampras will play Briton Martin Lee in the first round.
Sydney baseliner Evie Dominikovic drew French Open champion and second seed Serena Williams.
Alicia Molik faces another dual grand slam champion in Mary Pierce, but 31st seed Nicole Pratt has a qualifier.
Hewitt is bidding to become the first Australian since Pat Cash in 1987 to land the world's most important tennis title.
The top seed for the Australian Open (first round) and French Open (fourth round) this season, Hewitt will draw on a rich history that has delivered a succession of Australian top-seed champions here.
While no Australian top seed has succeeded at Wimbledon since Rod Laver in 1969, Hewitt has a wealth of precedents. Laver managed the feat in '62, '68 and '69, along with Frank Sedgman ('52), Lew Hoad ('56-57), Ashley Cooper ('58), Neale Fraser ('60) and Roy Emerson ('64-65).
Sampras was the chief beneficiary from Wimbledon's seeding formula, which takes into account a player's ranking and their grasscourt performances during the past two years.
The fading American was promoted from 13th in the rankings to seventh seed.
English hope Henman is seeded fourth, while his compatriot Greg Rusedski is 23rd
The women's draw followed rankings order, with defending champion Venus Williams seeded to meet her French Open final conqueror and little sister Serena in the final.
Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati is seeded third, with Monica Seles next, ahead of Kim Clijsters and last season's runner-up Justine Henin sixth.
Scott Draper, Jaymon Crabb and Todd Larkham all won first-round qualifying matches at Roehampton yesterday to move into the second round.
But Victorian Peter Luczak was beaten.
London: World No1 Lleyton Hewitt is on track for a Wimbledon semi-final against England's Tim Henman after Tuesday's draw.
Hewitt, the top seed, has drawn Jonas Bjorkman in the first round next Monday. Although Hewitt has a 4-0 record against Bjorkman, the Swede is a potentially dangerous opponent if he plays as well as he can.
It will be the third time this year that Hewitt has been top seed at a grand slam tournament after the Australian and French opens, where he lost in the first and fourth rounds respectively.
Hewitt is likely to meet No32 seed Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the third round.
Ninth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero awaits in the fourth round, with a possible quarter-final against seventh seed Roger Federer.
Henman, the fourth seed, and fellow Briton Greg Rusedski, seeded 23, have drawn qualifiers in their first-round matches, while Henman's second-round opponent is also guaranteed to be a qualifier.
Wildcard Mark Philippoussis is in the other half of the draw and will play Frenchman Julien Boutter, ranked 49, in the first round, with a possible second-round match against 14th seed Thomas Enqvist.
Australian Wayne Arthurs has a good chance of getting past American Michael Russell in the first round for a likely second-round match against 12th seed Jiri Novak.
Arthurs and Philippoussis are in the same half of the draw as Andre Agassi (third seed), Pete Sampras (sixth), second seed Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who became the fifth seed when Tommy Haas withdrew. Haas's parents were seriously injured in a car accident 11 days ago and he wished to remain with them.
Australia's first woman seed for 15 years, Nicole Pratt, will play a qualifier in her first match, while Alicia Molik has drawn struggling French player Mary Pierce. Evie Dominikovic will play second seed Serena Williams first up.
Top seed Venus Williams was drawn against British wildcard Jane O'Donoghue.
Third-seeded Jennifer Capriati will play Slovakia's Janette Husarova, while fellow American Monica Seles (fourth) was drawn against Spaniard Eva Bes.
Belgian Kim Clijsters is the fifth seed in the women's, countrywoman Justine Henin is sixth and Jelena Dokic, of Yugoslavia, is seventh.
Frenchwomen Sandrine Testud and Amelie Mauresmo, along with Italian Silvia Farina Elia, round out the top 10.
Todd Woodbridge and Bjorkman are the fifth seeds in the men's doubles, with Joshua Eagle and Sandon Stolle seeded 12th. Australian Rennae Stubbs and American Lisa Raymond are the top seeds in the women's doubles.
Meanwhile, Australian junior Todd Reid showed his promise as he gave Britain's Greg Rusedski a pre-Wimbledon scare on Monday.
Reid, 18, came through qualifying to earn a place in the Samsung Open grasscourt tournament in Nottingham and pushed Rusedski hard before losing 4-6 6-2 6-1.
Rusedski will be among the favourites at Wimbledon next week because of his big serve-and-volley game but he struggled early against the Australian, who moves into senior ranks full-time next year.
Canadian-born Rusedski lost his opening service game to put himself on the back foot and Reid, the youngest player in the draw, held on to take the set.
When Rusedski's serve failed him again early in the second set it looked like an upset might be on the cards. But he broke straight back and was able to turn things around.
Rusedski broke Reid again for a 4-2 lead as the Australian's resistance began to crumble. Rusedski then took control of the match.
In his first-round match, Arthurs put his big serve to good use, beating Armenian Sargis Sargsian 7-6 (9-7) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2.
Wayne Ferreira, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, withdrew with the same back complaint that forced him to withdraw from the quarter-finals of last week's Stella Artois tournament.
Ferreira, ranked 47th in the world, now faces a race to be fit in time for the third grand slam of the year.
Frenchman Michael Llodra beat another big server, American Taylor Dent, 6-3 6-4.
The 103rd-ranked player will face the winner of Brazil's Alexandre Simoni and France's Fabrice Santoro in the second round.
Eighth seed Davide Sanguinetti of Italy eased past South African qualifier Jeff Coetzee 6-4 7-5. Sixth-seeded Swiss Michel Kratochvil ended the hopes of Britain's Jamie Delgado winning 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
Elsewhere, former Wimbledon winner Richard Krajicek made a return to the court on Monday after a 20-month injury layoff, only to be ousted by Roger Federer in round one of the Ordina Open at Den Bosch, in the Netherlands. After making it to 2-2 in the first set he squandered four straight games to eventually lose 6-2 7-5.
Mental strength the ace in the pack as top
seed Hewitt heads to Wimbledon
By Linda Pearce in London
June 18 2002
When Tim Henman dismantles Lleyton Hewitt's game piece by piece, he sees little
to fear from the unremarkable pile of severed serves, groundstrokes and volleys.
The sum of Hewitt's physical and mental parts is what makes him great, and what
could also deliver a first Wimbledon title in less than three weeks.
"He's a phenomenal competitor, because when you break down his game he
doesn't have an outstanding shot - he has lots of very, very good ones. But it's
the combination of those and his mental aggression and determination,"
Henman said.
"From 12 months ago, his game's definitely improved. He's the best in the
world. It's as simple as that, and I think what makes him different [this year]
is that he's able to play that type of tennis day in, day out, week in, week
out."
Before a crowd that included his Formula One guest Mark Webber and British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, Hewitt on Sunday became only the second player in the
24-year history of the Queen's Club event to win three consecutive titles,
emulating John McEnroe in 1979-81.
If McEnroe once said that the boisterous Hewitt reminded him of a younger
version of himself, then it may be a portent that McEnroe went on to claim his
first Wimbledon championship in 1981. Until now, Hewitt's best effort at the All
England Club has been a fourth-round loss to Nicolas Escude in 2001.
"Three years ago I wouldn't have picked it, and I felt like I've got better
every year from the first round to the final, which is a good sign for me,"
said Hewitt, whose fifth career match against Henman was their fourth final, and
second in succession at Queen's, the Australian adding to his flawless record
with a solid 4-6 6-1 6-4 result.
"The only difference [this Wimbledon] is I probably know how to play grand
slams a little better after the US Open."
The biggest positive in Hewitt's game is the relentless nature of his strokeplay.
Although forward is still a mostly foreign direction, Hewitt's movement did
indeed make a near seamless transition from clay to grass. He runs everything
down, gets everything back, gliding from side to side like a baseline metronome.
As many shots as it takes is as many as he is prepared to play, with extra gears
found when required.
Even his supposed weakness on serve has improved.
"I think he's serving heavier," Henman said. "He's got an
attackable second serve but if you chip and charge then you're playing into an
area that he obviously likes. He likes a target, so it's a balancing act."
Hewitt believes the mental is more significant than the physical. And the
21-year-old has played so well in the past two years that it would be difficult
to improve on the quality of three wins - two against Pete Sampras and one
against Henman.
As he says, the difference is that in the past he was still a contender rather
than a grand-slam champion. Now he knows he can beat anyone and plays like it,
although he is yet to do so at the All England Club, where he is expected to be
Australia's first top seed since John Newcombe in 1974.
Who can beat him?
Sampras is showing serious signs of decline, Henman is 0-5 against one of his
main grasscourt rivals, and Roger Federer is still considered a little fragile
mentally.
Andre Agassi? Perhaps, but the 32-year-old's best grand-slam form has not been
seen for 18 months.
"There's obviously less and less typical serve-and-volleyers going around
now," Hewitt said.
"So probably sooner or later we're going to see another baseliner win
Wimbledon."
We should also remember that Queen's form is not always the most reliable guide
and should not be seen as more than the warm-up event it is.
Hewitt, though, can be well satisfied with his grasscourt efforts from week one
of the month-long season.
Stroke for stroke, his game dissected, the world No1 appears to be nothing all
that special.
In practice, as we continue to see, his overall package is lacking very little.
Hewitt the one to watch: Rafter
By Brian Burke and Patrick Miles
June 18, 2002
PAT RAFTER has named Lleyton Hewitt as the man to beat at Wimbledon and end a
10-year drought for baseliners at the grass-court grand slam.
"This year's field is wide open,"
Rafter said. "Pete (Sampras) is not at his best and (2001 singles champion)
Goran (Ivanisevic) is not there, so there's probably only a handful of guys who
can win it."
Even though Hewitt recorded his third successive Queen's title at the weekend,
defeating Tim Henman 4-6 6-1 6-4, Rafter believes he has room for improvement.
"I still don't think Lleyton has hit his peak yet and I've seen him play
better," Rafter said.
"He hasn't won playing 100 per cent which is very encouraging for him.
"If he does all the right preparation over the next week and has a
reasonable draw for Wimbledon then I think he's the number one player to
beat."
Rafter will be at home in Australia awaiting the birth of his first child during
Wimbledon but said he would email a good luck message to Hewitt and be available
to speak to him about his progress if "that's what he wants".
The baselines of Wimbledon have been a designated loading zone for the champions
of the past nine years: no loitering, just prime the serve, hit it, then head
for the net. Not since 1992, when Andre Agassi won the first of his seven grand
slam titles, has a man earned the crown with groundstrokes from the back of the
court.
The winners since then – mostly Pete Sampras, plus Richard Krajicek and Goran
Ivanisevic – have succeeded with a big first serve and a penetrating first
volley.
Hewitt, on the other hand, is one of a number who believe the time is right for
the "No Standing" signs on the baseline to be removed and for a
purveyor of the modern game to stake his claim.
Hewitt's line is "if Andre can do it, so can I".
"There are obviously less and less typical serve-and-volleyers going around
now, so probably, sooner or later, we're going to see another baseliner win
Wimbledon," Hewitt said in London after completing a Queen's hat-trick.
"Agassi's come pretty close the last couple of years to making the final
there again."
The absence of Ivanisevic has created a minor dilemma for the All England Club
about who should open the program on the hallowed centre court at 2pm on Monday.
Hewitt added to the majority opinion that says Sampras should have the honour.
"I think Pete," the world No. 1 said. "He's the last winner who's
in the field, now that Goran's not playing and Pat, the runner-up, obviously
isn't there. I think it probably has to go to Pete. He's going to go down in
history as probably the greatest player to ever play there."
Hewitt's win over Henman at Queen's gave him his 15th title and fourth on grass.
"To have a win against one of the big favourites for Wimbledon, one of the
best grass-court players in the world, it's a good feeling. So I think the
confidence has probably gone even higher," Hewitt said.
Monday June 17, 2002 11:25 AM AEST
Hewitt named Wimbledon's top seed
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt has been named the top seed for Wimbledon, after
beating Tim Henman to take his third consecutive title at the Queen's Club in
London.
Hewitt is the first Australian to be named top seed at Wimbledon since John
Newcombe in 1974.
After his win at Queen's, Hewitt joins John McEnroe as the only other three-time
winner on the West London grass.
McEnroe claimed his hat-trick from 1979-81 and Hewitt has followed the American
legend into the record books, beating Henman in just over two hours in a re-run
of last year's final at the pre-Wimbledon tune-up tournament.
Hewitt, the world number one, improved to 5-0 his career record over Tim Henman,
a three-time Wimbledon semi-finalist.
Their last meeting prior to Sunday's cloud-shrouded affair was the final on
hardcourts at Indian Wells, California, where the 21-year-old Aussie carved up
his opponent 6-1, 6-2.
Hewitt last lost here in a 1999 semi-final to Pete Sampras and has now won 15
matches in a row at the event - with only three dropped sets.
"It's been getting better and better," said Hewitt, whose best
Wimbledon showing has been the fourth round.
"It's a short grass court season, so the more matches you get, the better
off you will be. I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, and this is one of my
favourite weeks of the year."
Henman started with determination as he claimed the opening set in 54 minutes.
The pair traded breaks in the first two games, with Hewitt rallying after losing
his serve to love in the opener to quickly notch break-back.
Hewitt lost serve a second time in the ninth game after going to three deuces
before dropping to 4-5. Henman collected the set on his second opportunity, with
a backhand volley winner.
But the tide turned quickly in the second, with the aggressive Hewitt taking it
to 4-0 on two breaks of the embattled Brit.
Henman earned a token game for 1-5, but couldn't hold off the Hewitt charge,
netting a return to square the match at a set each.
Hewitt took control in the third, his attacking shots doing immediate damage as
he took the title on the first of his three match point chances.
"I had chances late in the first set, but I couldn't get the break
back," said Hewitt. "It's great to hold up this trophy again. To win
it three times is incredible.
"I just about feel at home here. I've been getting better with each match,
I hope to carry this form into Wimbledon."
from news.com.au
Hewitt: Let Sampras play first
From our wire services
17jun02
LONDON: Lleyton Hewitt has called for Pete Sampras to be given the honour of
opening next week's Wimbledon championships on centre court.
Traditionally, the previous year's champion officially opens the tournament with
the first match on centre court at 1.00pm on the first Monday, but 2001 winner
Goran Ivanisevic is out injured and runner-up Pat Rafter has retired.
So Hewitt suggested All England Club officials look no further than the man who
has won more Wimbledon titles than any other when they make the draw on Tuesday.
"Pete's the last winner whose in the field now that Goran's not playing and
Pat is not there," the world No.1 said after winning the Queen's Club
tournament here.
"I think it has to go to Pete, he's going to go down in history as probably
the greatest player to have played there."
Sampras won his seventh Wimbledon crown in 2000 but has not won a tournament
since.
After being knocked out by Nicolas Kiefer in the third round in the Halle
tournament in Germany this week, he is rated an outsider for this year's title.
Hewitt, however, believed the 30-year-old, who he thrashed 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-1 in
last year's US Open final, is not finished yet.
"I still won't count Pete out, he's one of the top chances that's for
sure," he said. "He'll be ready."
Following his 4-6 6-1 6-4 win over Britain's Tim Henman, Hewitt met up with
Australian Formula One driver Mark Weber who was his guest at courtside.
The pair first met in Barcelona earlier this year where they were both competing
and Minardi driver Weber said Hewitt was one of his inspirations.
Wimbledon top billing unlikely to faze Hewitt
By Linda Pearce in London
June 17 2002
Sometime on Monday afternoon in south-west London, a computer program formulated
last year to appease the disgruntled claycourt faction in men's tennis will
probably nominate Lleyton Hewitt as Australia's first Wimbledon top seed since
John Newcombe in 1974.
Hewitt says he does not covet the honour, nor does he expect it. But he is the
world's top-ranked player, as well as one of the more accomplished on grass, so
is unlikely to be usurped when the combination of ATP rankings points and
grass-based results from the past two years are given their unique mathematical
weighting by the All England Club.
"Doesn't worry me," said Hewitt when the seeding subject was raised
after his semi-final defeat of Sjeng Schalken at Queen's Club. "I'll show
up there Monday anyway. There's no difference between one to four, you get
placed in [separate quarters] of the draw. If I drop out the top four then I
might have something to complain about."
A glance at the Wimbledon singles honourboard since John McEnroe's second title
in 1983 shows only Andre Agassi, in 1992, breaking the serve-volley mould.
Hewitt plays a similar style of baseline game to Agassi, although is more of a
counter-puncher than his fiercer-hitting childhood hero, whom the 21-year-old
often cites as an example of Wimbledon's possibilities.
Hewitt did so again at the weekend, and also spoke of the benefits to have
flowed from his grand slam breakthrough at last year's US Open. Before that, he
thought he could win majors - now, he says, he knows it.
"I haven't been past the [Wimbledon] fourth round yet, so if I get to deep
in the second week I definitely will give myself a strong chance," Hewitt
said. "I know what it takes now to win a slam, and I think that helps.
"For a lot of guys, when you win your first major then you start realising
that you can do it, that you can put together seven best-of-five-set matches. It
doesn't matter how good you are until you eventually do it."
Before Sunday night's final against Tim Henman, Hewitt rated his grasscourt game
as about seven or eight out of 10, with three of his four perfect matches on the
surface coming at Queen's in the past two years and the other against Sebastien
Grosjean in the fourth rubber of December's Davis Cup final.
Hewitt believes he has adjusted his movement satisfactorily after sliding about
for more than a month on clay, and served well under pressure against Schalken.
Volleying, though, is still only an occasional move in his repertoire, and so it
is likely to remain.
"If I'm returning well and I'm hitting the ball well from the baseline and
dictating my service games, then I don't need to come into the net that
much," he said. "But I think it definitely just adds another dimension
to my game."
With Schalken hugging the baseline more than expected, Hewitt was pushed
throughout a close first set but was able to assert himself a little more in the
second to win 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. It was Hewitt's second success against Schalken in
barely a fortnight, and if there is a key that will unlock the Australian's
vulnerability on the Queen's Club grass, then the Dutchman is not alone in
finding it impossible to locate.
Hewitt entered the Stella Artois final without having lost a set. The transition
from slow clay to fast grass is more extreme than most, and the truncated nature
of the grasscourt season adds to the uncertainty that only Pete Sampras, until
last year, had managed to rise above annually.
"It's tough," Hewitt said. "I'd like to see a week's gap
somewhere, just to give us a bit more chance to adapt to the grass - but then
all the claycourters probably want to get the grass out of the way as soon as
possible."
Hewitt is a hardcourter, if anything, but played his first matches on grass in
junior tournaments in Adelaide about a decade ago. He has also practised
regularly for Davis Cup ties, so at least has some edge in experience in that
regard, if not the natural affinity for the surface enjoyed by Mark
Philippoussis and others.
Philippoussis, meanwhile, has been cleared of serious ankle damage after taking
a tumble behind the baseline in the third set of his loss to Wayne Ferreira at
Queen's. Although walking with a noticeable limp soon after his third-round
exit, Philippoussis planned to resume practising at the weekend and intends to
play an exhibition that starts in Buckinghamshire on Wednesday.
Among the other Australians, Wayne Arthurs this week intends to play in
Nottingham, from which Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson has withdrawn
with a back injury, and Hewitt will complete his preparation in the Netherlands,
one of six tournaments he won last year.
No rest not right Wimbledon strategy for Hewitt
By Linda Pearce
London
June 14 2002
With top-dog status comes scrutiny, and Lleyton Hewitt's every pre-Wimbledon
yelp is being analysed. Greg Rusedski wondered this week whether Hewitt
respected the tournament too much. Now, mild-mannered Wayne Arthurs has debated
the wisdom of Hewitt's decision to abandon the warm-up strategy that served him
so well at last year's US Open.
Last June, Hewitt won two of the Wimbledon lead-up tournaments in successive
weeks - following five matches at Queen's Club with another five in the
Netherlands.
By the time he played Nicolas Escude in the fourth round at Wimbledon,
understandable signs of weariness had appeared to creep in. Yet the world No. 1,
who considers himself among the 10 chances to win the Wimbledon title, is going
to follow the same path this year: London, then Queen's Club, where he has lost
only one match in three years, then back to SW19 for up to a fortnight of
best-of-five-set matches. Immediately before winning the US Open, he took a week
off tournament play. Slightly odd? Arthurs thought so.
"The last couple of years has maybe hurt Lleyton a little bit, where he's
done so well in the lead-up matches," Arthurs said. "He avoided World
Team Cup (before Roland Garros) this year so he could have that week off, and it
could be a good thing if he doesn't do so well next week.
"That's their decision but it's a little bit surprising considering that he
hasn't done as well (at Wimbledon) as he probably thinks he should."
When the matter was raised with Hewitt, he replied rather unpleasantly that,
"Yeah, I'm going to tank tomorrow and tank on Monday at Rosmalen". Not
the point, Lleyton.
Repeat: is there any danger of playing too much before the biggest tournament of
the year? "Not really. On grass, most people like to get . . . a few
matches, at least, under your belt, and my style of game is to give 100 per cent
every time I get on court." Agreed, but whether he is on the court too
often for his own good can only be judged on Wimbledon finals day.
At Queen's on Wednesday against American Mardy Fish, there was some strong
returning among flashes of Hewitt's best, including a running backhand passing
shot down the line that not only brought up match point but drew his opponent's
applause and prompted Hewitt to high-five a spectator in the front row. But his
all-important serve was "patchy", and his groundstrokes slow to warm
up to his first match on grass.
The No. 1 is also sporting a No. 1 haircut that makes him look more like a US
marine than his old pony-tailed self. Yet the main difference between the Hewitt
of 2002 and the younger version is apparently more than aesthetic. Where once he
played every match like it was his last, the strategy now revolves around the
need to peak at the four majors and Davis Cup. For a player who knows only flat
out, it has been a significant mental adjustment. In that regard, there is still
much to be done.
The significance of warm-up events, too, remains uncertain, and the Queen's Club
courts differ from Wimbledon in that the grass is cut shorter and the balls
bounce slightly higher. That suits players such as Hewitt, who are not
traditional serve-volleyers.
Arthurs also gives himself a shot at becoming the fourth Australian winner here
in six years, joining Hewitt (twice), Mark Philippoussis and Scott Draper.
Yet discussions of the top few may mask the worrying lack of depth in Australian
men's tennis. Given Pat Rafter's absence, only Hewitt, Arthurs and wildcard
beneficiary Philippoussis are guaranteed to play at Wimbledon, and there is a
widening gap to the rest. "I think it is a little bit of a cycle,"
Arthurs said.
Hewitt hurt by respect for Wimbledon
By Linda Pearce
London
June 13 2002
Now, here's a rarity: Lleyton Hewitt being accused of showing TOO MUCH
respect. But so it was at Queen's Club, where Hewitt revealed last year he
felt stifled by his Wimbledon inhibitions, and where, on Tuesday, Greg
Rusedski admitted he had noticed.
"He's got to bring the same attitude he brings to Queen's and to Rosmalen,"
Rusedski said after losing in three tiebreak sets to another of Australia's
Wimbledon hopefuls, Mark Philippoussis.
"What (Hewitt) does is he competes very well but for some reason he's not
his same loud and boisterous self at the All England club. You just have a
dream of the place, and for Australians with the background of growing up
with Rafter and Newcombe and Roche and all the guys, and all the Australian
history, he shows it a lot of respect, sometimes a little bit too much, and
it's a nice thing.
"But for him to play his best tennis, he has to be pretty loud and
aggressive, and that's what he does well."
That point was also made by Pat Rafter last year, and Rusedski's
well-meaning advice is nothing Hewitt does not already know. Still, the
Briton had his own problems in the second round of the grasscourt
curtain-raiser, and they were caused by the world's No. 110, not it's No.1.
Philippoussis, a Wimbledon wildcard recipient and three-time
quarter-finalist who will be high on the seeded players' list of early
opponents to avoid, was unable to break Rusedski's serve, but nor did he
drop his own, despite facing six break points and tossing in the usual
handful of untimely double faults.
The 1997 Queen's champion blamed the latter on a flawed ball toss, caused
by his keenness to get into the net, but was also able to serve his way out
of trouble. Philippoussis' second match on grass in two knee injury-plagued
years also brought him successive wins for the first time since reaching
the Adelaide final in January.
Back then, Philippoussis said he would win Wimbledon this year, although he
was a little more circumspect on Tuesday. "I've made the comment at the
start of the year, and now I'm here to play," he said. "I think it was
an
important match for me to get through."
The same goes for Wayne Arthurs, who played poorly, which is bad, but won,
which is good, and was encouraged that he was able to combine the two.
Had his form been so ordinary on clay against France's Nicolas Coutelot, he
admitted he would have lost easily. But this is grass, and the advantage is
reversed. "It definitely is a boost," said Arthurs, who now plays
Sargis
Sargsian of Armenia.
Andrew Ilie's grasscourt season lasted one match and, in typically
eccentric fashion, his opponent knew about it several days before Ilie did.
The Australian was still in Paris, out of ATP contact and intending to
bypass the grass in favour of chasing some lost confidence on clay, when he
discovered he had sneaked into the Queen's main draw. Ilie arrived on
Monday night, played on Tuesday, and promptly lost 6-3, 6-1 to American
Jeff Morrison. He is considering playing in a local exhibition next week -
"Need the money, what can I do?" he quipped - but, then, with Ilie,
who
ever really knows what's going on?
If he was not so immensely likeable, it would be tempting to suggest that
he lives not so much on another planet, but in another solar system. "It
was a little bit touch and go," Ilie said. "Tried to go out there and
give
it my best, and of course it's frustrating to come on grass and make a
little bit of a fool of yourself."
His ranking having plunged to 176th, and his career in crisis, Ilie remains
hopeful he can play his way out of the slump. "It's like navigating a
fog,"
Ilie said. "Sometimes you're so close and you don't even realise it."
Thursday, May 30, 2002
Hewitt Confident of Success at SW19
Ronald Atkin
When you are world number one you are entitled to feel any opponent can be
beaten and any tournament won. That is certainly the opinion of Lleyton Hewitt.
By winning the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney at the end of last season, Hewitt
became the youngest-ever top-ranked player at the age of 20 years 10 months, as
well as the first Australian to ascend to number one since the introduction of
the ranking system in 1973.
And having battled his way to the summit by courageous, as well as inspired,
tennis Hewitt sees no reason for being dislodged from a position he rather
likes.
"I give myself a chance against anybody on any surface at the moment,"
he said. "That's part of being number one in the world."
Jason Stoltenberg, the former touring professional who replaced Darren Cahill as
Hewitt's coach at the turn of the year, revealed Hewitt has been looking forward
for some time to getting to London and into the grass court season in readiness
for his fourth attempt at Wimbledon.
"Even if he doesn't win Wimbledon this year, I definitely think he will win
it at some stage," Stoltenberg forecast. He is one of the handful of guys
who can win any one of the Grand Slams. He's tough now, just think how difficult
he is going to be to beat in a couple more years."
However, Stoltenberg felt if Hewitt was to win the second Grand Slam of his
career this year it would most likely be another triumph at the US Open, where
he crushed Pete Sampras in the final last September.
Hewitt agrees with his coach's opinion. "It's hard to say the US Open is
not going to be my favourite, because hard courts are my best surface and I'm
still learning to play on clay and grass. But if I play the way I am capable of,
Roland Garros and Wimbledon are certainly not out of the question.
"Two, three years down the track I have no doubt I'll be even better. But I
had such consistency last year on all surfaces, that's what helped me to get to
number one."
Though Hewitt's best progress in his three previous Wimbledon bids was his
Fourth Round place last year, he enjoys grass court tennis so much that he will
go to Queen's Club looking for a hat-trick of championships at the Stella Artois
tournament.
Despite the almost-certain absence of his friend, Davis Cup team mate and 2001
Wimbledon runner-up Patrick Rafter from the line-up this summer, Hewitt feels
there is no shortage of challengers, not only for the Wimbledon crown but also
for his number one spot.
"This looks like one of the most open years to me. You can never count
Andre Agassi out, for sure. He's a great player and as fit as ever. Pete Sampras
may not have won any title since Wimbledon two years ago but he should not be
ruled out, he is still so good. In the past you could just pencil in Sampras and
Agassi, but this year there are plenty of challengers.
"Marat Safin is, without a doubt, one of the most dangerous players. Tim
Henman again has to be considered a top Wimbledon prospect. So does Roger
Federer. And everywhere I look now there are these 18-year-old kids doing
well."
Hewitt admits he is "surprised, for sure" at getting to the top of his
profession so early. "It is only five years ago since I was 722 in the
world. I looked the other day at where I had finished at the end of every year
since 1997 and those figures show how quickly I have improved. I don't know
where I'll go now, though. But I can't do much about that,"
Hewitt says he first realised he might have the qualities to become a Champion
when he was 14 years old. "I came to Europe and had never played on clay
before. Yet I won three out of four tournaments and was number one for my age,
so I went home and thought 'Well, maybe I can play this game a little better
than I thought.' That is when I decided to give up my ambitions to be like my
Dad and become an Australian Rules footballer and to concentrate on tennis
instead.
"But then when you start playing satellites you think 'Did I make the right
decision?' But when I won Adelaide as a 16-year-old ranked 550 in the world I
didn't have any more doubts."
Hewitt is keen to defend his on-court attitude, criticised by some as being too
excitable. "I've been getting fired up since I played junior
tournaments," he said. "That's me. I play my best tennis when I play
with emotion, when I'm bouncing around, and it shows in the big matches. It has
nothing to do with getting in your opponent's face, it's just me getting pumped
up at the right time."
The big question is whether Wimbledon this year will prove the right time for
the world number one.