Apia International Sydney Tennis - Australian Open Series

Hewitt in top shape for Sydney

Sunday 10 January 2010 3 Comments »

Twelve months after his first-round exit from the Australian Open, Lleyton Hewitt is feeling in top shape going into this week’s Medibank International Sydney.

Despite an injury scare in Perth last Friday when he required on-court treatment after suffering a back spasm, Hewitt said he feels he is in much better condition than last year when he was making his way back from a career-threatening hip injury.

Having not played for most of 2008, Hewitt’s ranking spiralled to 108 at one stage. He was unseeded for the Melbourne Park showpiece and then handed a tough opening round draw against big-serving Chilean Fernando Gonzalez where he lost in five sets.

But after an excellent second half to 2009 which saw him reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and make the third round at the French Open, Hewitt’s world ranking has risen to 22 and he’s confident he’s edging closer to his best form.

“The back feels pretty good. It has been getting treatment and I am doing all the right things since arriving back from Perth,” Hewitt said on Sunday.

“Having a bye into the second round here gives me a couple of days up my sleeves which is good.”

After missing a huge chunk of 2008 due to his injury, Hewitt said he was underdone going into last year’s Australian Open, but he feels this year he is perfectly primed going into his home grand slam.

“Even though I hit a lot of balls in practice last year I didn’t have too much preparation going into the Hopman Cup, Sydney and the Aussie Open and the hip was always in the back of my mind,” he said.

“Not being seeded you are always suspect to the draw and to my credit I played well last year for the amount of matches under my belt I put up a good effort.

“Hopefully this year with a bit of luck from the draw I can hopefully put myself in a position to go better and get into the second week.”

The second-seeded Hewitt has a bye into the second round and will face either Italy’s Andreas Seppi or Marinko Matosevic.

Australia’s Matosevic qualified for the main draw of his first ATP World Tour event after a 6-4 6-1 win over world No.72 Daniel Traver Traver from Spain.

The 194 centimetre Matosevic, who has tried and failed to qualify for all four grand slams since turning professional in 2004, said he hoped the victory over Traver would prove to be a breakthrough moment in a career that has seen him earn just over $90,000.

The Croatian-born Melburnian will be joined in the draw by Juan Ignacio Chela, Frederico Gil, Leonardo Mayer who won their final qualifying matches.

Tags: Lleyton Hewitt, Marinko Matosevic

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