THE tennisreporters.net NEWSLETTER: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, No. 96

A more mature and less lethal Hewitt emerges
Talks about Clijsters' wrist but not wedding plans

By Sandra Harwitt
Special to tennisreporters.net

Photo: Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA Design: Ron Cioffi/tr.net

Hewitt wins Wimbledon in 2002.

FROM THE WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS IN CINCINNATI – In their heyday – and that was less than a handful of years ago – a match between Lleyton Hewitt and Gustavo Kuerten would be a highly anticipated final. Okay, if not a final than at least a semifinal for the two former world No. 1s.

But time moves quickly on the ATP tour and, in a blink of they eye, the 10th-seeded Hewitt and the unseeded Kuerten were going at it in the second round at the TMS-Cincinnati tournament on Wednesday. It was a rain-plagued day. But matches eventually got underway and Hewitt came up with the 6-3, 6-4 win. Up next will be either fifth-seeded Tim Henman, who he holds a 7-0 winning record over, or Hicham Arazi, who he trails 0-1.

Kuerten, a three-time Roland Garros champion has battled a right hip injury for which he underwent relatively new arthroscopic surgery in February 2002. While the No. 24 ranked Brazilian has managed to come back to the tour, his journey has been filled with lumps and bumps.

But the story is quite a bit different for Hewitt, the '01 US Open and '02 Wimbledon champion. A spindly lad, who looks shorter than the 5-foot-11 frame the ATP media guide lists him, was a bulldog just a few years ago. The fact that he lacked some of the stature and brawn of his closest opponents seemed inconsequential; his determination and rabid desire could outwit muscle on most any day.

That luxury seems to have left him behind a bit these days as there's emerged a kinder, gentler Hewitt. The Adelaide native seems to have matured and is taking things more as they come. And while he hasn't added a third Grand Slam title to his trophy chest, he continues to win titles. This year he's increased his career title count to 21 titles with victories at Sydney and Rotterdam.

THREE QUARTERS IN LAST SEVEN SLAMS
As to his luck at the majors, he's not exactly setting the world ablaze. Since reaching the '02 US Open semifinals, he's played seven Grand Slam tournaments and reached three quarterfinals: the '03 US Open (here he was torched by JC Ferrero), '04 Roland Garros (where he was blown out by Gaston Gaudio) and '04 Wimbledon (where he was outclassed by Federer).

While it is clear that he'd like to be making more of a mark at the majors like he did when he won his two Grand Slam trophies, he also is not beating himself up about it, at the very least taking the view that he's playing some consistent ball of late.

Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA

He makes it to the '04 Roland Garros semis, then lost to Gaston Gaudio.

"You know, it would be nice to go a little bit further than the quarters at the French and Wimbledon," Hewitt, 23, said. "I ran into the two guys that went on to win the titles. But, you know, I'm winning matches. I'm doing something right, I guess. But you just got to take your chances when you get those opportunities. You know, against [Gaston] Gaudio [at Roland Garros], I don't think I played my best match in the quarters against him, but, you know, he played extremely well. Against Roger [Federer], I felt like I played pretty well in that match at Wimbledon. So, yeah, I feel like I'm hitting the ball well enough. Just against the best players in the world, as I said earlier, you got to just take those chances when you get them."

Making no excuses, Hewitt was willing to admit that he plays for Grand Slam titles, so he'd like to get his game in gear for the upcoming US Open.

"Obviously Grand Slams, that's what I guess you make the sacrifices for, to try and win Grand Slams and to try and win as many as possible," Hewitt said. "So for me, you know, I try and look at my schedule. Everything goes around, you know, the Grand Slams and Davis Cup at the start of the year. Obviously, Davis Cup took a little bit of a wrong turn this year. But, you know, just trying to focus now on the US Open coming up. That's, you know, the last major. After that, to be back at the Australian Open."

NO TO ATHENS TO CONCENTRATE ON NEW YORK
To that end, Hewitt has chosen to skip the upcoming Olympics to focus on the US Open. One reason he made that decision was that he would eliminate having to fly from the summer US tournaments to Athens and then back stateside for the final Grand Slam of the season. A player known to be susceptible to viruses, he felt staying off planes and their recycled air-conditioning would be a very smart idea.

"I just feel for me, it's better preparation for the US Open [to skip the Olympics]," Hewitt said. "I'm sure whoever wins the Olympics is going to be very confident going into the US Open because, you know, it's still going to be a strong field at the Olympics. But for me, the flying back and forth isn't the best thing to do before a major that I've played extremely well at in the past. And that's what it pretty much boiled down to for me.

"I've had viruses and stuff in the past. I got another one last week after flying from Australia to Toronto. I think at the end of the day, after I've been here – what's it gonna be – for six weeks or so leading into the US Open, into New York, trying to build your game up week by week to get ready and acclimatize. For me, personally, I think the worst thing would be to fly over there and play and then come back and try and play at my best level."

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

Kim Clijsters congratulates the two-time Slam winner.

Talks about Clijsters' wrist but not wedding plans
Fiance Kim Clijsters is here in Cincinnati with Hewitt but is keeping a low profile. Hewitt, however, was willing to offer a brief medical report on the former world No. 1, who has been sidelined since undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from her left wrist earlier in June. While Clijsters is right-handed, the left wrist comes into critical play for her on her two-handed backhand.

"She can only hit forehands," Hewitt reports. "She hits some forehands now and then. Just I think [she hopes to start playing again] pretty much after the US Open some time hopefully. But, yeah, depends every week."

Be assured, getting a brief comment from the medical perspective about his lady love was a lot easier than trying to score some information regarding wedding plans.

Being betrothed is public information. Wedding plans, if there are any, are private.

According to a mischievously smiling Hewitt, the wedding plans are not yet in the works. However, those who know Kimmy, and know that she was borrowing bridal magazines from Lindsay Davenport almost as soon as Lleyton placed the ring on her finger last December, it seems unlikely that his "no" to queries as to are they in the throes of planning the nuptials could be a bit of a big cover-up.