Red hot Hewitt
Red hot Hewitt
By LEO SCHLINK and MARK STEVENS January 16, 2004
LLEYTON Hewitt's Australian Open juggernaut continued to gather pace yesterday
when the former world No. 1 notched his ninth consecutive win to reach the
adidas International semi-finals in an ominous prelude to Melbourne Park.
But even if Hewitt triumphs in Sydney, the spectre of an ageless master looms
large over the Australian Open.
At 33, Andre Agassi looked awesome yesterday in disposing of the raging
Australian Open favourite Roger Federer 6-2 6-4 in 53 minutes at the
Commonwealth Bank International at Kooyong.
The win put Agassi unbeaten into Saturday's final of the Melbourne exhibition
tournament that he has used so effectively to tune up for the past three
Australian Open tournaments he's played, and won.
Hewitt would dearly love to win his first Australian Open and he also looked
in great touch yesterday.
The former world No. 1 registered his 13th straight victory at the adidas
International – an event he won in 2000 and 2001 – to again underline the
confidence that flows from his new-found aggression.
Hewitt survived a tight match with Australian Open finalist Arnaud Clement 6-1
4-6 6-3.
Ranked 16th in the world, Hewitt's brilliant form has raised hopes of him
becoming the first Australian to win the national title since Mark Edmondson
in 1976.
"The focus mainly is on next week [Australian Open] still. Just take it one
match at a time here and try to get the rhythm and the preparation right"
Hewitt said after his win yesterday.
"The closer you get to playing in a final or having a chance to win another
title, it's always a nice feeling.
"The first set out there today I felt like he didn't play badly, I just sort
of dominated.
"I hit my forehand great. He really couldn't find a weakness out there. I just
played a couple of bad points at the start of the second set and it turns out
I was in a bit of a dogfight after that," Hewitt added.
Unbeaten since succumbing to a hip injury and the excellence of Juan Carlos
Ferrero in the US Open quarter-finals, Hewitt yesterday staved off pressing
Clement in the fifth game of the deciding set to reach the last four.
The seventh seed has beaten fellow grand slam champions Federer and Ferrero
in Davis Cup since recovering from injury and having a wart removed from his
left foot.
He has also added the scalps of Attila Savolt, Xavier Malisse, Karol Kucera
(twice), Sargis Sargsian and now Clement.
Hewitt has not lost at the adidas International since he was toppled by
American Todd Martin in the 1999 quarter-finals.
The South Australian returned to lift the 2000-01 titles, before opting to
play the Hopman Cup for the past two seasons before resting in the Sydney week.
Hungry for Australian Open success, he has again tinkered with his Melbourne
Park preparation by returning to Sydney.
He was in desperate trouble at two-all in the third set yesterday when Clement
hustled his way to 0-40 on Hewitt's serve.
The Australian coolly wriggled out of trouble before delivering a killer blow
to the Frenchman's hopes with a crucial break.
A pair of botched volleys in the sixth game sounded the death knell for
Clement, who had battled bravely to stretch Hewitt in sapping conditions after
the Australian had lost concentration in the second set.
Hewitt is now within two matches of notching his 20th career title – and the
first under Roger Rasheed, the coach who replaced Jason Stoltenberg in June.
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