The Hindu : Sport : Lleyton Hewitt sails into third round

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Friday, Sep 28, 2007
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Sport

Lleyton Hewitt sails into third round

Nandakumar Marar

Fabrice Santoro advances; Mahesh Bhupathi pulls out of doubles

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

BLAZING AWAY: Lleyton Hewitt of Austraia was clinical in his victory over qualifier Ti Chen of Chinese Taipei.

MUMBAI: Qualifier Ti Chen of Chinese Taipei, pitted against the accomplished Lleyton Hewitt, was like a lamb thrown to the lion. The former World No. 1 has lost just once in his entire career to a player ranked beyond 200 (Ivo Karlovic ranked 203rd at Wimbledon 2003). Hewitt won the first round tie in 78 minutes on Centre Court in the Kingfisher Airlines Open 2007 here.

Hewitt stepped on court for the second time in the day and was in a spot of bother against Boris Pashanki in the second round. The 89th-ranked Serb kept the Aussie on tenterhooks in the first set, before bowing out. Hewitt’s 7-6(2), 6-2 win took him into a third round match-up with the hard-hitting German Rainer Schuettler.

“I had to play two matches under tough conditions, and am happy to have won both in straight sets,” said the crowd favourite, relieved at the way his body has recovered. He had withdrawn from the Davis Cup tie against Serbia.

Fabrice Santoro sliced away at blaster Nicolas Devilder in an enchanting duel between two contrasting Frenchmen, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 for a graceful pre-quarterfinal entry. The fifth seed, standing out with his all-white outfit and pure game based on soft hands and deception, withstood the hustling tactics of his big-serving countryman to carve out a come-from-behind victory in one hour and 43 minutes.

Back injury

Meanwhile, Mahesh Bhupathi, paired with Santoro, pulled out, citing a back injury suffered last week after a gym session.

“I suffered pain in the joints of my back. It is an inflammation of one of the discs,” said the Indian at a media briefing, adding that he expects to be out of action for 10 days.

The withdrawal of the top-seeded pair has resulted in the entry of Indians Vivek Shokeen and Purav Raja in the draw.

Bhupathi was the defending champion after winning the title with Croatia’s Mario Ancic last year.

Hewitt chose to receive serve after winning the toss on a hot, sunny morning and netted a service return to hand Chen the first point of the match.

Serving for the first time at the CCI hard court, the Aussie double-faulted once, followed by two back-to-back aces (nine in all). The Taipei player saw the first one as a yellow blur, as the ball thudded on to the red hoardings behind. The second ace was all about deception, the bounce and swerve carrying the ball beyond racquet range.

Chen won three service games before the early sparring gave way to full blooded strokeplay. Hewitt held the upperhand with a wraparound forehand followed by a leaping forehand crosscourt smash, inching ahead with a break in the seventh game (4-3) marked by furious rallies as the points piled up in the Aussie corner. Ace number three roared past the qualifier’s stunned face, whose service returns off the next three did not clear the net.

The sun came out as both walked out for the second set, the breeze blowing across the court made for a delightful contrast after the damp, dark days.

Chen attacked the ball with ferocity, hurried to get into position for returns as volleying lessons continued from across the net. Hewitt blasted the ball effortlessly, varying angles and pace, to keep his rival guessing.

Chen, running breathlessly across the court’s width, was foxed by a Hewitt special at 15-all in the first game, a backhand drop from the baseline forcing the qualifier, eyes locked on the ball, stop and scramble ahead but unable to scoop it over the net. The Aussie, sensing the chance for a quick finish and gain recovery time for matches ahead, forced two breaks in the second and ninth games for a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Effective weapons

For Devilder — familiar with Santoro’s control over craft — searing top-spin forehands and anticipation were effective weapons against his wily rival in the first set. The latter’s faith in deceptive ground strokes, backed by superior serving (12 aces, no double-faults), forced a turnaround in the second set. Two breaks in the decider (third and seventh), after both players held serve once, accompanied by consistent retrieving, was enough to rattle Devilder.

The results: Singles (second round): Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) bt Yen Hsun Lu (Tpe) 6-3, 6-3; 5-Fabrice Santoro (Fra) bt Nicolas Devilder (Fra) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; 4-Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) bt Toshide Matsui (Jpn) 6-0, 6-4; 2-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt Boris Pashanski (Srb) 7-6(2), 6-2.

First round: Ivan Navarro (Ita) bt Purav Raja (Ind) 6-4, 6-1; Hewitt (Aus) bt Ti Chen (Tpe) 6-3, 6-3; Pashanski (Srb) bt Sergei Roitman (Arg) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

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