Hewitt hangs back to conquer the clay
Hewitt hangs back to conquer the clay:
The world No1 tells Stephen Bierley he has taken the R&R approach to
Roland Garros in hopes of the ultimate double
May 24, 2003 12:25pm
The fear of premature burn-out has forced Lleyton Hewitt, the 22-year-old
world No1, into a high-risk strategy of minimal preparation before the
French Open, which begins on Monday, and the defence of his Wimbledon
title next month.
More and more young players, including Russia's Marat Safin, the former
world No1, and Germany's Tommy Haas, are suffering from stress injuries.
Accordingly Hewitt, with his all-action style, has deliberately cut back
his programme this year to keep fit and fresh for the four grand slam
events and the Davis Cup. But he knows he is treading a fine line between
being ready and being vulnerable. "My motivation levels never drop but
I needed some time off," he said. "My priorities have changed. I need to
stay healthy so I can stay in the game longer."
No man has won Roland Garros and Wimbledon back to back since Bjorn Borg,
who achieved the remarkable feat three times in succession from 1978 to
1980. Hewitt has it locked away in his mind that the feat might be
possible for him and he has devised a schedule to maximise his chances.
So far this year, excluding the Davis Cup and this week's World Team
Championships in Dusseldorf, which is really no more than an exhibition
event, he has played in only five tournaments, winning two.
"I think I've had enough time on the court. As the No1 everybody comes at
you with guns blazing but I feel I can move up a notch next week," he
said. "Sometimes when you come back to clay your legs turn to jelly. I co
uld still be a little more aggressive but it's probably been the ideal pr
eparation."
Clearly he wants to believe so. There has been much talk of the problems
with his immune system, after he was struck down with chickenpox last
year, and of his continuing row with the ATP, whom he is threatening to
sue, over his absence from the clay-court circuit. His withdrawal from
Monte Carlo and Rome allowed him to keep his body and mind refreshed.
Hewitt exerts more physical energy on court than any other top player
with the exception of Andre Agassi; small wonder that this pair,
separated by 11 years, are vying for the No1 spot. But the overwhelming
lesson Hewitt has learned from the American is the need to be selective
and not waste too much pedal power on the flat when there are mountains
to be climbed.
This is not good news for the ATP, the ruling body of men's professional
tennis, which likes to believe that all the leading players will play
every one of its nine-event Tennis Masters Series. Of the five that have
taken place this year - in Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Monte Carlo, Rome
and Hamburg - Hewitt has played in three and Agassi in two.
Again, excluding the Davis Cup and World Team Cup, Hewitt has played 19
matches this year (16-3), Agassi 25 (23-2), whereas Spain's Juan Carlos
Ferrero, the world No3 and favourite next week, has notched up 37 (30-7),
accompanied by injuries.
Time and again Agassi has won tournaments, including the French Open in
1999, off the back of seemingly scant preparation; the same has applied
to Pete Sampras. The two Americans are giants of the modern game, with 22
slam titles between them. For Hewitt, with only two major wins, to be
following a similar path may be to risk failure.
The French Open already presents Hewitt with his most difficult slam
challenge. As yet he has not gone beyond the last eight. "I could win
three matches easily next week, or get myself into a grind. I'd like to
get more cheap points off my serve but so far I've not really mastered
that on clay. But my movement has improved. It's a challenge and I
always like challenges. I think I'm getting better and better."
With seemingly hordes of Spaniards and Argentinians mustering on the brow
, and with the last Australian to have won the title being Rod Laver back
in 1969, Hewitt is well aware of the difficulties. If he is to win at
Roland Garros, let alone double up like Borg at Wimbledon, the window of
opportunity may be brief.
Already some are wondering whether his success is akin to that of Martina
Hingis, whose great advance came with Steffi Graf on the wane and before
the rise of the Williams sisters. Similarly, it could be argued, Hewitt
has made his mark at the tail end of Sampras's and Agassi's careers and b
efore the next giant arises to club him down.
This may be to underestimate Hewitt: "I've already done more than a lot
of people thought I could do - even myself." If his serve does continue
to develop - and Tim Henman, beaten by him in last year's Wimbledon semi-
final, has often stressed what an underrated weapon it already is - then
the feisty Australian may yet become one of the all-time greats.
It may be that in the land of tennis robots, the man with human
imperfections and frailties is king. As Hewitt says of his game: "I feel
like the crowd can interact with me. I get fired up and show some emotion
- and I'm young."
Fewer matches may mean more major titles and, if that happens, as with
Agassi, nobody will complain except the ATP.
--
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