Hewitt 'not feeling pressure'
Hewitt 'not feeling pressure'
By Peter Mitchell in Los Angeles
July 29, 2003
BACK from his post-Wimbledon break, Lleyton Hewitt says he feels no
pressure to win a title ahead of the next month's US Open.
Hewitt and Davis Cup teammate Mark Philippoussis began their preparations
for the Open with a hard-fought doubles victory at the Los Angles
tournament today.
While declaring himself hungrier than last year, Hewitt said picking
up the singles title in LA, or at the Tennis Masters Series events in
Montreal and Cincinnati, wasn't the be-all and end-all before arriving
at Flushing Meadows.
"It's nice to win a tournament going into a slam ... but when I won the
US Open two years ago, I didn't have much going for me," Hewitt said.
"If I don't get a result going in this time, I'll still have worked on
my game."
The top ranked Australian duo are getting back in the groove after
starkly contrasting fortunes at Wimbledon where Hewitt was a first
round loser to a qualifier and Philippoussis a finalist.
"Playing doubles is the perfect preparation," Hewitt said after their
4-6 6-2 7-5 win over American Justin Gimelstob and South African
Wayne Ferreira.
"It's good to ease back in. I always enjoy a competitive match, getting
the feeling back.
"This gives us both a chance to work on our games in doubles."
The 22-year-old is aiming for a much better grand slam showing in
New York after bombing out in the fourth round at the Australian Open,
the third round at the French and becoming the first men's defending
champion of the professional era to lose first-up at Wimbledon.
"I'm probably more hungrier in a lot of ways because I haven't had the
best results in the grand slams this year," said Hewitt, whose ranking
has slipped to No.5.
Hewitt has reached the semi-finals or better at his last three US Open
appearances.
But there have been suggestions this season that he's lost the edge
that made him No.1, especially after falling to little-known Croatian
qualifier Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon.
Hewitt said being No.1 was not his focus.
"I've made it pretty clear that majors (grand slams) are more important ...
I'd love to get it back at some stage," he said.
"But if I'm going to have a longer career, I'm really going to have
to have a look at the schedule and what suits me and I don't think
going out there and playing every week just to try and get No.1 is
probably the way to go for me."
Philippoussis, 26, was feeling refreshed after spending three weeks
surfing at his home in southern California following his march to the
Wimbledon final where he lost to Roger Federer.
"I'm looking forward to trying to continue what I did at Wimbledon
and just play solid tennis and go out there, compete well and enjoy
myself," Philippoussis said.
"That's the most important thing for me."
Hewitt and Philippoussis have played doubles together at three other
tournaments this year and plan to also pair in New York, giving
Australian Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald more food for thought
ahead of the semi-final against Switzerland in Melbourne in September.
Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs were the doubles pairing in Australia's
victory over Sweden in the quarter-final in April.
"It does give us another option," Hewitt said.
"There are plenty of variables that come into it before the Saturday
doubles match and at the moment we are obviously going to go out and
play the singles and we've got two guys who are extremely good doubles
players."
Hewitt, the top seed in LA, begins his singles assault tomorrow against
American Cecil Mamiit.
The 20th-ranked Philippoussis is the fifth seed and drawn to meet
20 year-old compatriot Adam Kennedy tomorrow.
Kennedy, the world No.432, was raised in Sydney but groomed at the
Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.
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LLEYTON HEWITT NEVER GIVES UP!
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