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Bring on Rios, says rising
star Hewitt
Aussie teen seeks re-match with Chilean after last year's narrow defeat
By THOMAS KOH
HARDLY anyone knew who Lleyton Hewitt was when he first came to Singapore for last
year's Heineken Open.
But what a difference a year makes. The 18-year-old Australian wonderboy was mobbed by
tennis enthusiasts yesterday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium when he showed up for a
picnic session with the fans.
And little wonder. Singaporeans know a good player when they see one and the pony-tailed
Australian is the fastest-rising star on the ATP Tour circuit.
He was ranked 137th a year ago and he had to battle his way through the qualifying rounds
here.
This time round, however, he is one of the tournament's biggest draws. Ranked 31st in the
world and seeded third here, he has scalped the likes of Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Patrick
Rafter, Cedric Pioline, Todd Martin and Marc Rosset in the last 12 months.
Mats Wilander was his favourite player when Hewitt was growing up. And like the legendary
Swede, the teenager's game is built on solid groundstrokes.
But good players are a dime a dozen on the highly-competitive ATP tour. What sets the
young Australian apart is his mental fortitude.
"I believe in myself," he said yesterday. "I feel like I can beat anyone on
any given day."
Compared to giants like Rosset, Mark Philippoussis and Richard Krajicek, the 1.80-metre
tall Hewitt is relatively small.
But he prowls the court like a tiger, fights tooth-and-nail for every point and he never
throws in the towel.
He won over many Singapore fans last year when he gave Chilean top seed Marcelo Rios the
scare of his life in the quarter-finals.
He won the first set 7-5 before losing the next two 3-6, 4-6 in a two-hour marathon filled
with long, breathtaking rallies. A particularly spectacular point was even featured
on CNN's Play of the Day.
Rios went on to win the tournament but he will not have forgotten Hewitt in a hurry.
Fireworks are in store if the duo do meet again this year. They are seeded to clash in the
semi-finals.
Said Hewitt: "It was like a football match when I played him last year. The Aussies
were cheering for me and the Chileans were rooting for him.
"It would be great if I could play him again here. It would be good for the fans as
well.
"I think I have a very good chance of winning the tournament. I'm hitting the ball
well and the courts are quite slow, which suits my game.
"But Rios and Chang have a similar baseline game and we all have an equal chance
here."
Hewitt and Rios may also get to tangle on the golf course this week.
The Australian plays off 13 while the Chilean is a 12-handicapper.
Said Hewitt with a smile: "That should be another tight match."
The affable Australian will play his first match this evening against American Paul
Goldstein.
Perennial crowd favourite Michael Chang will also be in action. He will partner
Filipino-American Cecil Mamit in a first-round doubles match against fellow Americans
Justin Gimelstob and Jack Waite.
Thanks Stacie
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