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After 16 Australian tennis summers, Lleyton Hewitt is now enjoying an Indian one.
Hewitt marched into the Australian Open third round as 15th seed Andy Roddick retired hurt in their match at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night – the Australian leading two sets to one at the time.
Roddick won the first set, but the match changed complexion when the American stumbled awkwardly during the second – appearing to hurt his leg.
The discomfort was obvious, and it deepened as Hewitt clambered back into the match taking the second set and then the third before Roddick succumbed.
For Hewitt, the 3-6 6-3 6-4 win leaves him alongside Bernard Tomic as the last Australians standing in the singles at Melbourne Park.
Now 30, Hewitt has never won an Australian Open in 15 previous attempts and after a year of injuries and a plummeting world ranking, there have been suggestions this tournament could well be his Melbourne Park swansong.
Yet after years of carrying Australia’s hopes of an Open crown single-handedly and unsuccessfully, Hewitt is now mounting a steady march through a 2012 tournament in which the pressure has been on others.
“In the last four years I’ve had five surgeries, and last year I played just two grand slams and two Davis Cup ties,” Hewitt said.
“I came in here with nothing to lose, I’ll play with my heart on my sleeve and see where it gets me.”
Hewitt now faces 23rd seeded Canadian Milos Raonic in the third round, with a showdown with world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the fourth round looming should he win.
Roddick said a hamstring injury was behind his retirement.
“I could probably jog and play, but (the problem) was extension,” Roddick said afterwards.
“Getting it above 60 to 70 per cent was not happening right now.
“I wanted to see if I could play … it’s a miserable, terrible thing being out there (playing) when that happens. It really sucks.
“I was really just hanging on, and I don’t think it would have been really smart to do that for two more sets.”
In contrast, Hewitt was thrilled he felt no ill effects from his tough four-set, first-round win on Tuesday in a match against old foe Roddick that still lasted two hours and 10 minutes.
“Physically I was very happy with how my body pulled up today after playing four hours the other day, especially since I haven’t played too much tennis (lately),” Hewitt said.
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