MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 11, 2006

Lleyton Hewitt

THE MODERATOR: First question for Lleyton.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Uhm, I wouldn't say all gone just yet. It was a big step in the right direction, though. So I'm pretty pleased with the way I was able to go out there and focus on the job at hand and not worry about how I was feeling at all. You know, it's nice to win a first set as well (smiling). You know, it hasn't happened for a couple of months since I've, you know, played last. So it was good to get off to a good start, and I think that was important, you know, with the conditions out there today. The wind was swirling a lot on center court and it was tough for both players up both ends.

LLEYTON HEWITT: It was definitely better today. I don't know if it was only my stomach today, but my whole body felt better today. I felt like I had a lot more energy out there today. The other day I just -- you know, apart from the stomach - you can normally put up with a bit of a sore stomach out there playing - it was the fatigue and energy that I just had nothing two days ago, whereas today I had a lot more energy out there and, you know, felt like I could be competitive and be myself out there. You know, who knows exactly what it is, but, you know, hopefully it's on the improve and keeps improving day by day.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really, no. Still a hell of a lot of good players out there. As I said a couple of days ago, to play against those guys, you just about -- you got to make it to the quarters and the semis anyway. So, you know, I've got to go out there and still take care of the guys I need to in the first week and put myself in a position. You know, anyone that makes quarters or semis of Grand Slams regardless is going to be seeing and hitting the ball well. So even though it's not those guys that obviously have a good record in the big tournaments, you know, there's Nalbandian, Coria, you know, a lot of names out there still.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, well, it's very surprising, you know. I think Roger's got to go down as one of the biggest favorites of all time this year. So, you know, what did he lose, four matches last year, and at least two, maybe three of them he had matchpoint in.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, well, I was still pretty lucky. I only competed -- I only finished eight tournaments last year and finished No. 4 in the world. I don't know how many times that would have happened, and yet there's no doubt it puts you under more pressure in the big tournaments that you play because, you know, if you don't perform in those, then you'll be back 200, 300 in the world. So you're starting behind the eight ball, but last year for different reasons, you know, I had more breaks. There's a few injuries and then obviously the birth of Mia at the end of the year. So I don't think that would happen every year, but I think, you know, it's getting harder and harder I think to keep your ranking at the top when you're not playing a lot of tournaments.

LLEYTON HEWITT: For me, I think living in Australia, I think that's why so many Australians in the past have lived overseas. There's no doubt that it's harder traveling around the world. And, you know, particularly the stretch, the clay court season and finishing at Wimbledon. The whole clay court and grass court season, we've basically got to stay there that whole time whereas a lot of the European players and even some American players can go back for a week or two, back to their home base, whereas Australia it's nearly impossible with jetlag.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I wouldn't read a lot into today's match. It's an exhibition.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, well, I think first of all the Masters Cup was a little bit of a once-off. You know, I haven't seen -- the years that I've played in the past, it would be unlucky if one of the top eight guys pull out. So last year was very unlucky for Shanghai for different reasons. In terms of the Australian Open, I think, you know, there's no doubt that it's a lot tougher on a lot of the top players. If you're playing all the year and then expected to -- normally there's going to be pretty good players playing in the Davis Cup final which is a week and a half, two weeks after the Masters Cup as well, and you've got to somehow have a couple of weeks off there, there's no way that your body can always bounce back. We saw it when I had a big year in 2001. I got the chicken pox early in 2002. Juan Carlos Ferrero had exactly the same thing 2004, started 2004. So these are the kind of things that the players and especially the top players I think have been asking for and want a look at for a long time now, but, you know, nothing still seems to be happening.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, I'm lost for words. What was the question (smiling)? Uhm...

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, there's not a whole heap I can do about that. You know, that I guess comes with all the acting that I've done (smiling).

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, no, that's not hard. Yonex are always going to change and come up with new designs. That's the design they've come up with this time.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think it's good for the tournament, I think it's good for Australian tennis. It's always hard on both the Australian players going out there and playing each other, though. It's something that I haven't had to do in the last couple of years purely because we haven't had that depth. Back when I first started there seemed like a lot of guys that I kept bumping into, a lot of other Australians, and it's never easy playing against those guys. If Chris can get through, it would be great. I'm not sure if he's made a quarterfinal of a tour event before so it would be a big step in the right direction for him and for his career. Yeah, it wouldn't be easy for either of us.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I like Peter a lot. I think he's -- you know, he's probably never going to be a top 10 player, but he puts himself out there and competes day in, day out, you know, on the match court or the practice court, so I got a lot of time for the guy. It was a pleasure to have him to hit with in December. I thought he was hitting the ball great. And, you know, I saw a bit of his match today and, you know, most of the time I thought he was the better player. So he was a bit stiff. That was one of those small opportunities that sometimes you've got to take to get that breakthrough to the next level.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I wouldn't read a lot into today's match for Roger. Firstly, it's an exhibition. He (dropped?) Tommy Haas last week in the semifinals. I think Roger is probably cruising through right at the moment.