It's a great feeling to qualify for Masters Cup: Hewitt

SYDNEY, NOV.11 Lleyton Hewitt, the hottest young player on the men's tennis circuit this year, is within striking distance of Gustavo Kuerten, the Brazilian who ended 2000 as the No.1 player, on the eve of the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup which begins here on Monday.

Winner of the 2001 U.S.Open, Hewitt also captured four ATP Tour titles this season and he would certainly fancy his chances of winning the last big event of the year to top off what has been a dream season with the No.1 ranking.

Andre Agassi also has the chance to end the year as No.1 - he would become the oldest year-end No.1 in history if he did that - and Hewitt would relish the chance to fight it out with Kuerten and Agassi.

Following are excerpts from an interview with Hewitt.

On qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup

It's a great feeling. For me last year to make it, I finished seventh. Last year I made it, I went to Lisbon and it was just a great feeling because I was fighting for the last few spots over here in these indoor tournaments last year and I was able to get through into it.

Just to look around and see the other guys playing next to me, I was only 19 at the time and I'm playing next to Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Kafelnikov, Kuerten, Safin, there are so many great players there and for me to part of it is a great experience.

On qualifying together with Rafter for the Masters Cup

We've spoken about how good it is to be, for both of us to make it this year, especially because it's going to be in Sydney, in Australia. That's a big thing for Australian tennis I think, it's a big thing for the tournament as well, to have two of the home guys playing in it.

We spoke about, earlier in the year, a few weeks before the U.S. Open, that it would be great if we can both make it. Now the way that it has turned out I think it's going to give us both a lot of confidence that we're in the final eight at the end of the year to compete it out. We both play well in Australia and it's also good to get a bit of that feeling getting ready for the Davis Cup final as well.

What it would mean to have success at the Masters Cup in Sydney.

It would be huge. I've always played well in Australia, the crowds get behind me in Australia and it really is a great feeling there. I've had some of my biggest matches in Australia, especially in the Davis Cup ties.

I feel confident playing in Australia and it really would be a huge way to finish if I could do really well in the Masters Cup and then win the Davis Cup, it would top off a great year, that's for sure. I've always played well in Sydney.

On potentially being the year-end World No. 1

I feel great, the way that I have been playing over the last two months it's been fantastic. The results that I've had, and to win my first Grand Slam as well and to put me in contention for No.1 is a great feeling. I haven't had the No.1 in mind the whole year really, I've been going out there, and sure I've been trying to qualify for the Masters because I knew it was in Sydney as well in my home country so that was an added bonus for me.

I've blocked it out up to now, before the U.S. Open I really didn't give myself any chance of becoming world No. 1. The last couple of months I've played extremely well, I've won a Grand Slam, I've won another tournament, I've made another semi of a Masters Series and I've put myself in contention. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well enough to go out there and have a good result in Sydney in the Masters Cup. I just want to basically get out there and play one match at a time and try to get through my round robin matches.

How to approach the round-robin format of the Masters

Yeah, maybe a little bit differently. If you do get off to a bit of a slow start you still have a bit of a chance still to get through. You don't want to take anything out of your hands either. You want to go out there and give a hundred percent in every match and try to get off to a good start and try to guarantee yourself that you're going to make it through to the semifinals.

What helping Rafter put his name on the Davis Cup would mean to him

For Pat Rafter, if this is going to be who knows, his last tie, his last match, it would definitely be a great way to go out. We've come through a tough section this year, down in Brazil, I think we'll all remember it was so hard to get through that match and we don't want to let any little hiccups now sort of upset our rhythm. We've just got a great team unit at the moment and we work together as a team and I think we draw confidence from everybody around us there and it will be great to get Pat's name finally on the Cup.

On Rafter's influence on him

It's been huge for me. I think for any young guys coming up, to have a guy who's in the Top 5, Top 10 in the world at the time, taking time out of his schedule to help you and to hit with you and practice with you. Just going out to dinner and go out to the movies and play golf with you. You just learn so much about a guy in that situation and it was such a huge help for me because I came on the tour at such a young age.

To look up to this guy and he really took me under his wing and was able to help me and show how much professionalism there is in the game of tennis. I get along well with all the Australian players. Todd Woodbridge is one of the older guys on the tour now but we have a good relationship. Wayne Arthurs very good as well.

I've got along very well with Mark as well, like in the final in Nice we played together, we played together in the

Switzerland tie as well. It's just a really good Australian feeling I think amongst the team, and it's a good team feeling and that's why that's one of the main reasons why I've been able to do so well. If one guy is not playing so well, the other guy tends to step up and that's what I've been able to do over the last three years.

How other players view him since winning the U.S. Open

Maybe they are out there to get me a little bit more. But I think the last few months everyone has been giving a hundred percent, it's extremely tough in these conditions, if you're not playing for the Masters Cup, it's tough to sometimes get up for these matches at the end of the year.

Coming over here and being in a totally different climate, very cold over here in Europe at the moment, it's hard for some of the players to not think about the end of the year and finishing it off.

On how he has changed from two years ago

As a person I don't think I've changed much, as a player I think my game has gotten better and better each year. That comes with more experience on the tour I think, it comes with a little bit more strength over the last two years as well. Obviously that confidence that I've had with better results over the last two years as well. I've been able to step it up and my ranking has got higher and higher each year.

About his on-court reputation

I don't know. When I go out on the court I go for my shots, I do what I believe in out there. I don't hold back, I don't have any fears when I'm on the tennis court. I respect all the other players off the court, that's for sure. I think that's part of being very professional.

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