Hewitt on top of the
world
By Richard Yallop
March 19, 2002
LLEYTON HEWITT started
the year down and thoroughly out.
First there was the chicken pox that
wiped him and Australia out of the Hopman Cup. He tried the impossible, a
comeback at the Australian Open just two weeks later but was wiped off centre
court in the first round by feisty Spaniard Alberto Martin.
Then came the
virus that kept him in bed for about a month. And the breathing problems. And
don't forget the ongoing stomach complaint.
Not that you'd guess all that
happened now. Two big tournament wins back-to-back; he's undefeated since his
return; he's claimed a string of former world No. 1 scalps; and predictions
about his future keep leaping higher and higher.
Hewitt, now acknowledged by
his peers as setting the benchmark in men's tennis, has the potential to stay
world No. 1 for a decade, according to influential commentator John
Alexander.
Hewitt won his second successive tournament yesterday, beating
Briton Tim Henman 6-1 6-2 in a one-sided final of the Masters Series event at
Indian Wells. In the semi-final Hewitt had his fourth straight win over former
No .1 Pete Sampras, 6-2 6-4.
A fortnight earlier in San Jose, Hewitt beat
Andre Agassi, another former No. 1, and is now guided by Hewitt's former coach,
Darren Cahill.
Alexander, who chairs Tennis Australia's player development
committee, said Hewitt, the youngest ever person to end the year as No. 1, could
stay there for another decade.
Drawing a comparison with Australia's last No.
1, Pat Rafter, who was 27 when he made it to the top for two weeks in 1999,
Alexander said it was quite possible that, as Hewitt had become No. 1 at 20, he
could stay there for 10 years. He saw no danger of burn-out.
"I'm sure
Lleyton's goal would be to stay No. 1 for a decade. He could break all-time
records and I think that's what his goal would be."
Alexander said he used to
doubt whether Hewitt had the strength from the back of the court to penetrate on
the clay at the French Open but those doubts are disappearing: "I think he's so
far ahead of everyone else at the moment, and gaining in strength each day, that
he is a great chance for the French," he said.
Australian Davis Cup captain
John Fitzgerald believes Hewitt can win all four grand slams, but the French
Open, played on clay, presents the greatest challenge, because it is the most
physical.
Team Hewitt changes again
as agent heads to AIS
Linda Pearce
February 22
2002
Lleyton Hewitt's entourage is to alter for the second time in three
months, with Hewitt's Australian agent, John McCurdy, accepting the post as head
tennis coach and program manager of the Australian Institute of
Sport.
Hewitt parted company with coach Darren Cahill in December and
appointed Jason Stoltenberg in his place. This latest change is not so dramatic,
as McCurdy's role will be partially filled by Octagon manager Rob Aivatoglou,
whose business association with Hewitt pre-dates McCurdy's appointment four
years ago.
Hewitt leaves for the United States today to prepare for his
first tournament since last month's first-round loss to Alberto Martin at the
Australian Open. The 21-year-old has been recuperating from chickenpox, and has
entered the San Jose event, which will also mark the debut of Cahill's new
partnership with Andre Agassi.
McCurdy, 41, is a former tour player and
Victorian state coach. He fills the AIS position vacated by Chris Kachel - now
travelling with Evie Dominikovic - after 12 years.
"I've had a wonderful
association with Lleyton," said McCurdy.
McCurdy's star pupils will
include talented teenagers Todd Reid, Ryan Henry and Chris Guccione, with the
non-residential scholarship holders to be determined with input from the new
coach.
Meanwhile, the recently-retired Peter Tramacchi, a regular Davis
Cup hitting partner in the John Newcombe era, has been contracted as a private
consultant to the Tennis New South Wales high-performance
program.
LLEYTON PLANS ON DEFENDING HIS
TOP RANKING
Hewitt brims with confidence needed to remain on
top
By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net
Confidence – a
common trait that all champions seem to possess and Australian Lleyton Hewitt is
definitely no exception. Only one year out of his teens, Hewitt captured his
first taste of Grand Slam glory at the 2001 U.S. Open. And then in the late
autumn, at 20 years, 10 months old, he because the youngest player ever to end a
season as the world No. 1 player in the ATP rankings.
Of course,
confidence comes in different packages. Players like Bjorn Borg and Stefan
Edberg wore theirs with that cool aloofness befitting the quiet Swedish
personality. In contrast, the Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe's of the world were
outwardly brash and cocky, never subdued enough to be ignored.
In case
you've missed Hewitt – although it's highly unlikely you didn't take notice last
year – the scrappy Australian is of the Connors and McEnroe mold. Bold and
brash, Hewitt holds nothing back, wearing his emotions on his sleeve.
It
is likely that his brazen personality will be beneficial as Hewitt faces a new
situation in the coming weeks – returning to the tour after illness kept him
away. Proof that Hewitt is still in his youth more than adult life could be that
he recently contracted the childhood disease chicken pox. Clearly fatigued,
Hewitt valiantly attempted to play the Australian Open, but the top seed
couldn't hold his own against Alberto Martin of Spain, losing in four sets in
the first round. He hasn't played since, but is due back on court the week of
Feb. 25 at San Jose and plans to follow that event with stints at the Pacific
Life Open in Indian Wells and Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami.
"It was just
unlucky that it happened at that time," said Hewitt, of being spotted with the
chicken pox during the first Grand Slam of the year. "It was unfortunate, but
also I probably needed the break. Hopefully, I'll come back bigger and stronger
because of it."
At 5', 11"and 150 pounds, Hewitt is categorized with the
slighter built players on the tour and takes his cue from these type of
aggressive baseliners.
CHANG, AGASSI STYLES WERE INFLUENCE
"Obviously
when I was younger, I looked up to Michael (Chang) because I wasn't the biggest
guy around. I sort of looked at how I was just going to be able to dominate the
big servers and big hitters. You look at guys like Michael and Andre Agassi, see
how that sort of counter-puncher player, especially Michael, further back of the
court, can dominate guys with the passing shots. Obviously, I think the biggest
weapon is the return of serve. I've drawn strength from Michael winning,
obviously, the French, but probably more so Andre winning with his style of game
on all surfaces at the four Grand Slams. For me, that's a big thing, knowing
that a guy like that can do that, beat such big servers, especially on a court
like grass at Wimbledon."
Hewitt pinpoints the difference between his old
coach, Darren Cahill, who resigned at the end of last year and has just signed
on with Agassi, and new coach, Jason Stoltenberg, as most significant in terms
of off-court preparedness. Stoltenberg seem to be more attuned to what working
in the gym can do for a player, especially a smaller guy like Hewitt, who could
use to build up strength and muscle. Such strategy is certainly not going to
hurt Hewitt, who relies on a very physical style of game to beat opponents, many
of whom are taller and more powerful than he is.
WILL CONCENTRATE ON
TRAINING
"I actually don't think that I was as fit as I should be and
probably could be the last couple of years," said Hewitt, who has won 12 career
titles including the coveted U.S. Open. "You know, even though I got to No. 1,
I'm not as good a player as I can be. It's great that I've had the success that
I have, but there's still areas of my game – I'm only 20-years-old – there's
areas of my game that I still know and think that I can work on and become a
better player. To produce the results like the U.S. Open on all different
surfaces, for me, I've got to change a few things.
"I think I've
definitely got to get a little bit stronger, obviously need a higher percentage
of first serves, getting more cheap points off my first serve, getting those
easier points, and also becoming more of an all-court player."
In
Hewitt's mind, he's ready to make his mark in other arenas besides for the
hardcourt he won the U.S. Open on in September. The way in which challenges the
competition is by outdoing them in the confidence and tenacity departments and
that makes the Aussie a tough player to beat.
"I think one of my main
areas of strength as well as my return of serve, I think is in my mind," Hewitt
said. "I'm capable – I've got the confidence that I'm capable of doing well in
the French Open and also at Wimbledon in the years to come. When I go out there,
I love competing, I love getting on the court and working hard. When I go out
there and give a hundred percent every time I step on the court. If I play with
that same confidence that I played with at the end of last year, then I think,
I'm going to end up having a pretty good year as well this year. Hopefully, I
feel like I'm getting better and better on clay and grass the last few years.
I'm just hoping it's sort of a matter of time before I start having some big
results at the French and Wimbledon."
Hewitt
unfazed
www.Sportal.com.au
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15,
2002
Preparing for his return to the game as he recovers from illness,
world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt says he’s unconcerned by former coach Darren Cahill
linking with Andre Agassi.
Hewitt and Cahill parted company in December after
Hewitt had ascended to the top spot in the world, and after Agassi did likewise
with his mentor of eight years, Brad Gilbert, Agassi last week engaged Cahill’s
services.
Both Hewitt and Agassi are planning returns to the game in the
San Jose tournament that begins on February 25 – Hewitt from complications from
his bout of chicken pox and Agassi from a wrist injury that was thought at the
time to be career-threatening.
Asked whether he is bothered by the fact
that the next time he meets Agassi it could be with his fellow South Australian
Cahill in his opponent’s camp, Hewitt said it would make no difference to the
result.
"Not really. I'll go out there, it's between me and Andre
basically," he said. "Last time I played Andre was in the Masters Cup. I played
one of my best matches ever. In the past, we've had extremely tough matches.
It's sort of gone either way.
"I've got great memories of playing Andre.
He was obviously my biggest win in that first tournament when I beat him in the
semi-finals in Adelaide. I've got good memories of that. If we were to meet, it
would be an extremely tough match, that's for sure."
Hewitt says he is
almost fully recovered from the virus and its complications, and says he had
little choice but to take some time off to get over the problems.
"I am
pretty much over it," he said. "It has been sort of a slow, gradual process
really that you have to go through. I am just unlucky that it happened at that
time (days before the Australian Open). You know, it was unfortunate, but also I
probably needed the break.
"Hopefully I'll come back bigger and stronger
because of it. You know, it was obviously a little bit of a setback playing in
such a big tournament as the Australian Open with it."
Having spent his
time on the sidelines after his shock opening round loss to Spaniard Alberto
Martin at the Australian Open, Hewitt says he is ready to fire in San
Jose.
"You know, I'm feeling good. I sort of have just been training the
last week or so, at the moment back on the court," he said.
"I've been in
the gym a little bit longer than that. I feel like I'm getting better and better
each day. It's going to be a tough week, though, in San Jose for me, coming back
after you haven't played for a while.
"It's always going to be tough, but
hopefully I can get those first couple of matches under my belt. Once you sort
of get into the tournament, I think I've got as good a chance as
anyone."
Hewitt changes court to get better
By Alex Brown
in San Jose, California
Officially, Lleyton Hewitt wants it known that
any showdown with Andre Agassi is just that - a showdown with Andre
Agassi.
Any drama with his dumped coach Darren Cahill joining Agassi's
camp? That's in the past, Hewitt says.
Just because Agassi has linked
with Cahill, just because the circumstances surrounding the Hewitt-Cahill split
were short of jovial, just because a Hewitt-Agassi match could present itself as
early as next week, the world No1 isn't buying into talk of animosity with his
former coach.
"I'll go out there and it's between me and Andre,
basically," Hewitt said. "Last time I played Andre, in the Masters Cup (in
Sydney), I played one of my best matches ever.
"[The split with Cahill]
is sort of between Darren and I and that's the way it's going to stay pretty
much the whole time as well. We just sort of came to the end. Darren let me know
he was resigning. I didn't have a problem with that. I felt like we've had a
great partnership over the last three or four years."
By NIKKI TUGWELL
The
Advertiser
08feb02
WORLD No. 1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt last night
delivered on his overwhelming favouritism by winning The Advertiser-Channel 7
Sports Star of 2001.
Trading his baseball cap for a tuxedo for the
star-studded event, sponsored by RAA Insurance, the 20-year-old also won the
People's Choice Award as most popular athlete for the second consecutive
year.
In an extraordinary 12 months, Hewitt won the US Open, the Tokyo
Open, the Sydney International singles title and also the final at Queens in the
lead up to Wimbledon.
The Team of the Year category was won by SA's
national quad sculls representatives Jo Lips, Amber Halliday and Sally Causby
who teamed with New South Wales rower Catriona Roach to form the
world-conquering Australian team.
They won gold at the world
championships in Switzerland and the World Cup in Munich.
Baseballer
Leigh Neuage, 18, who was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers last year, was named
Junior South Australian Sports Star of the Year.
He made an impact in the
American Rookieball League and was a key contributor on debut for Australia at
the world championship in Taipei in November.
Donna Alexander was
honoured as the Special Olympian of the Year for winning three gold and one
bronze medal in rhythmic gymnastics at the State Games. She also clinched gold
and silver in State Games tenpin bowling.
Sport has always been a big
part of Hewitt's life. He first picked up a squash racquet as a
toddler.
As a child he wrote to his English teacher that he wanted to
improve his spin bowling so he could "bowl all the English cricketers
out".