Post by Ida on Aug 15, 2005 13:39:11 GMT 2
Wedding jitters not behind Hewitt's form
Story By Sheree Went
Sunday, 17 July 2005
A wife and a new bub are just around the corner for Lleyton Hewitt but he won't be letting that interrupt his assault on the professional tennis circuit.
A wife and a new bub are just around the corner for Lleyton Hewitt but the world No.2 won't be letting that interrupt his assault on the professional tennis circuit.
Nor will his brutal straight-sets drubbing by old foe David Nalbandian at the Davis Cup quarter-final against Argentina in Sydney be too much of a confidence blow as he heads into next month's US Open in New York.
The 6-2 6-4 6-4 loss sealed the visitors' 4-1 win in the tie and granted them a semi-final berth against either the Slovak Republic or the Netherlands in September.
It was an unusually flat Hewitt that walked onto Centre Court at the Sydney International Tennis Centre with his trademark "c'mons" and fist pumping that provoked his Argentine opponent Guillermo Coria during Australia's one and only win on Friday virtually non-existent.
But the 24-year-old wasn't putting his poor performance, which included 45 unforced errors and six double faults, down to nerves ahead of his pending nuptials at a private ceremony in Sydney this Thursday to former Home and Away star Bec Cartwright.
Fatherhood is also nearing with Cartwright now around five months pregnant.
Instead, Hewitt put his lack of spark down to his tough 7-6 6-1 1-6 6-2 win over Coria on Friday, which came fresh on the back of being knocked out of Wimbledon in the semi-finals by Swiss world No.1 Roger Federer earlier this month.
"Obviously off the court there is a lot of difference with my life in general but once I step on the court it is business as usual," Hewitt said after the match.
Any changes in his personal life will also not stop Australia's top men's player from keeping to his playing schedule ahead of the US Open, which starts on August 29.
"It won't have any difference on my schedule and Bec travelling it is all still up in the air at the moment," he said, confirming he would likely use ATP Masters Series tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati on August 8 and 15 respectively as warm-up events.
Hewitt admitted his performance was disappointing but vowed to fight back after losing his first match at the Sydney venue since his defeat by Belarus' Max Mirnyi at the 2000 Olympic Games.
"Obviously that is a little bit disappointing but my game is heading in the right direction and even though today things didn't go my way it is one match and I've got no doubt I will bounce back," he said.
Story By Sheree Went
Sunday, 17 July 2005
A wife and a new bub are just around the corner for Lleyton Hewitt but he won't be letting that interrupt his assault on the professional tennis circuit.
A wife and a new bub are just around the corner for Lleyton Hewitt but the world No.2 won't be letting that interrupt his assault on the professional tennis circuit.
Nor will his brutal straight-sets drubbing by old foe David Nalbandian at the Davis Cup quarter-final against Argentina in Sydney be too much of a confidence blow as he heads into next month's US Open in New York.
The 6-2 6-4 6-4 loss sealed the visitors' 4-1 win in the tie and granted them a semi-final berth against either the Slovak Republic or the Netherlands in September.
It was an unusually flat Hewitt that walked onto Centre Court at the Sydney International Tennis Centre with his trademark "c'mons" and fist pumping that provoked his Argentine opponent Guillermo Coria during Australia's one and only win on Friday virtually non-existent.
But the 24-year-old wasn't putting his poor performance, which included 45 unforced errors and six double faults, down to nerves ahead of his pending nuptials at a private ceremony in Sydney this Thursday to former Home and Away star Bec Cartwright.
Fatherhood is also nearing with Cartwright now around five months pregnant.
Instead, Hewitt put his lack of spark down to his tough 7-6 6-1 1-6 6-2 win over Coria on Friday, which came fresh on the back of being knocked out of Wimbledon in the semi-finals by Swiss world No.1 Roger Federer earlier this month.
"Obviously off the court there is a lot of difference with my life in general but once I step on the court it is business as usual," Hewitt said after the match.
Any changes in his personal life will also not stop Australia's top men's player from keeping to his playing schedule ahead of the US Open, which starts on August 29.
"It won't have any difference on my schedule and Bec travelling it is all still up in the air at the moment," he said, confirming he would likely use ATP Masters Series tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati on August 8 and 15 respectively as warm-up events.
Hewitt admitted his performance was disappointing but vowed to fight back after losing his first match at the Sydney venue since his defeat by Belarus' Max Mirnyi at the 2000 Olympic Games.
"Obviously that is a little bit disappointing but my game is heading in the right direction and even though today things didn't go my way it is one match and I've got no doubt I will bounce back," he said.
