- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Lleyton Hewitt beat Andy Roddick 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the battle of the two war-torn and wounded warriors at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park last night.
War-torn and wounded alright.
Roddick retired hurt with a hamstring strain after losing the third set when Hewitt was in command and deserved the win. But not in that fashion; nobody wants that.
Roddick has been plagued by leg, ankle, and hamstring injuries over the last two years. Hewitt has undergone five serious surgeries in the last four years, forcing him off the court for long periods.
Despite the setbacks they put on a classic display for the chockers centre court crowd, especially the yellow-shirted ‘Fanatics’.
Roddick out-served the little Aussie battler. No news in that, so does everyone else. But Hewitt’s ground strokes off both wings were struck with power, and precision, to win critical points.
We may have seen the last of the classical Hewitt-Roddick confrontations.
Hewitt’s 31 next month, Roddick’s 29. Hewitt has won two Slams to one, Roddick has won five Masters to two. Hewitt was world number one for 80 weeks, Roddick for 12. Roddick’s won 75% of his matches (591 wins,197 losses), Hewitt 72% (554 wins, 205 losses), Roddick’s won 30 titles, Hewitt 28, and Roddick’s won $20 million in prizemoney, Hewitt $19 million.
So not much between them, it’s a pity the sands of time are catching up with both of them fast. They have both contributed so much to their sport.
Next up for Hewitt another bazooka-serving youngster, the 21-year-old Canadian Milos Raonic, the ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2011 when he rushed up the rankings from 152 in the world to 37 in a month
And at 6ft 5 (196cm), he’ll be a handful for the 5ft 11 (180cm) Australian.
But nobody can ever deny Lleyton Hewitt has a heart bigger than Phar Lap. He’ll never die wondering.
Tonight it’s giant-killing Bernard Tomic and Alexandr Dolgopolov, who has beaten the Australian in all three meetings to date.
When asked if he felt good playing against the Ukrainian, Tomic answered “Absolutely not”.
But Tomic is a lot like Lleyton, and he’ll find a way to beat his nemisis.