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Lleyton Hewitt might have been planning to slide under the radar at Wimbledon, but he blew his cover with a straight-sets defeat of defending champion Rafael Nadal in an exhibition match.
Hewitt’s 6-4 6-3 victory over world No.1 Nadal in what was meant to be a relaxed encounter at London’s Hurlingham Club on Thursday was another chance for the 2002 Wimbledon champion to hone his grasscourt game in match conditions after his third-round exit from Queen’s last week.
It was also an opportunity for Nadal to test his knees after tendinitis ruled the Spaniard out of Queen’s and cast doubt over his title defence.
Fortunately for 56th-ranked Hewitt, there are plenty more pressing storylines for the world’s tennis media in the lead up to the year’s third grand slam starting on Monday.
There’s the question of Nadal’s fitness for the title defence and Roger Federer’s attempt to break the record of 14 grand slam titles he shares with Pete Sampras.
Then there’s Britain’s Andy Murray feeling the glare of the spotlight after the world No.3 crowned his impressive lead-up by walking off with the Queen’s title.
Hewitt’s manager David Drysdale believes if his unseeded charge – the only Australian in the men’s draw – negotiates the first few days well, he could emulate the efforts of surprise 2008 semi-finalists Marat Safin and Rainer Schuettler.
“He is going to be a dangerous floater for sure at Wimbledon,” Drysdale said.
“He could fly under the radar a little bit and be a threat.
“It’s all a matter of trying to get into that second week.”
As much as he loves hitting on grass, Hewitt’s victory on Thursday over the man who knocked him out of the French Open – battling injury or not – is more of a psychological boost than hours on the practice courts.
The former world No.1 knows he can win at SW19 and has no sign of the hip problems that sidelined him for the final four months of last season and sent his ranking plummeting outside the world’s top 100 for the first time since 1998.
“He’s been hitting at Wimbledon with different players and hitting the ball well,” Drysdale said.
“We’re just waiting for the tournament to start … I know he’s itching to get out there and play.”
But overcoming Federer, who is determined to reclaim the title he has won five times before relinquishing it to Nadal in last year’s classic final, and Murray, who carries the hopes of a nation, could take every bit of Hewitt’s famous fighting spirit – and then some.
Hewitt finds himself the sole Aussie in the men’s draw after final-round qualifying losses on Thursday for teenager Bernard Tomic and veteran Joe Sirianni.
It is believed to be the first time in history that Australia has had just one player in the men’s singles main draw at Wimbledon.
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