adidas International

January 15, 2004

Lleyton Hewitt

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton, please.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was a big game to try and get out of. First point I hit a pretty good forehand into the corner. Then second point I hit a good second serve. He sort of just pushed it back, and floated long. Third point, again, I went for another forehand and hit it well. You know, was obviously a huge game to get out of 'cause I was telling myself if I get out of that game, then I felt like I could break him the next game to go 4-2. Obviously, he's gonna be on a bit of downer after not breaking that game. It was a huge turnaround, I guess. Just tried keeping the pressure on him early in that next game. I had a lot of love-30 games out there on his serve in the second and third set, and I just couldn't capitalize.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it's good. You only get those situations in matches. You can't get that from, you know, playing practice sets and getting in that same situation because it just isn't the same with the crowd and the pressure that you're under right at that particular time, serving breakpoints down. It's always nice, I think, to get out of those situations in any tournament. But, you know, to go through at such a close stage in the third set was positive.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I just played a couple -- I was 30-15 up in the first game of the second set. Just played a couple of loose points there. His backhand up the line was incredible today. He was hitting it like a passing shot every time. He hit that on breakpoint against the breeze, which was strange, because he was hitting a lot better against the breeze than he was with the breeze. He played a couple of good points there. From then on, he was just sort of having a go on my service games, where I was pretty, you know -- I don't know how many points I lost in those next few service games the rest of the second set, but it wouldn't have been many at all. He served a lot better. He sort of came out and went for it a little bit more. Obviously, his confidence got up because he was a service break up and all he was really concentrating on was holding his service game. Yeah, he's a tough player. You can't hit a lot of winners against the guy. He's very quick out there as well.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, he's tough. He mixes it up. You know, throw in the serve-volley down breakpoint, or second serve serve-volleying he hits a half-volley dropshot winner. Just little stuff like that. He's an awkward player to play against. He's not someone, I guess, that you wouldn't say is technically, you know, the most sound guy out there, I guess, or like a normal, you know, sort of textbook player. But he makes it work for him.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Oh, well, the end of yesterday's match, from 4-love down I played pretty faultless tennis out there yesterday. So, you know, the first set out there today I felt like he didn't play badly; I just sort of dominated. I hit my forehand great. Yeah, he really couldn't, I guess, find a weakness out there in the first set. As I said, I just played a couple of bad points start of the second set and it turns out you're in a bit of a dog fight after that.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I guess. You know, the focus mainly is on next week still. You know, just take it one match at a time here and then trying to get the rhythm and the preparation right. And, obviously, the closer you get to playing in a final or having a chance to win another title, then, yeah, it's always a nice feeling.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, it's an awkward match for both of us. You just got to try and block it out, and one of us - if we're playing each other - one of us is gonna get an opportunity to play in the final. But, you know, for Australian tennis it's good because we're both obviously in pretty good form going into the Australian Open. In one way, it's positive for both of us. In another way, yeah, it's an awkward matchup. You'd rather it be a final than a semifinal.

LLEYTON HEWITT: We both know how each other play. We just got to go out there. It's pretty much on the day, I think, with those kind of matches when you know your opponent so well. Yeah, it's always awkward no matter which Australian you got to play against, especially a guy that, you know, I've spent, you know -- probably the closest to on tour the last 12 months.

LLEYTON HEWITT: No, pretty good. The ankle's been good. It's recovered well. Took a couple of days off, obviously, when I didn't have to play the final in Perth. Traveling here and got on the court as soon as I -- the next day after I landed here. Yeah, I haven't felt it at all, which is good.

LLEYTON HEWITT: The ones I've seen -- I don't know if it's the court. It gets a bit sticky now and then. What happened in Perth, you know, I twisted mine and I don't think it had much to do with the court. I was sort of just recovering for a ball. Kim's is a little bit different with the Achilles' at the back of the foot. I'd say that probably could have happened on any court. Alicia, she's had hers happen on all different kinds of courts. It's still the same problem. I know there's been a history of Rebound Ace, there's been some bad ankle problems over the years, but I feel like mine probably could have happened on any surface.

LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, we've probably had a little bit more the last couple of weeks, I'd say, than in general. But you always get some now and then. That's the sport we play in. You know, especially guys like myself or even Kim or whoever, you know, we do so much running out there as well, you know, scrounging for so many balls out there that, you know, stuff like that's bound to happen at some stage or another.