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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2007

Lleyton Hewitt

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Lleyton.

Q. Going down a break in the third, your thoughts then?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Just took me a while to work out not only where my game was at, but also work out what was best to play him. I was just going to hang in there and keep fighting.
I just tried changing up a few things out there. Mix up the height of the ball, the depth. I was trying to be a bit more patient out there with him, let him try and dictate sometimes.
First two and a half sets he played great. Didn't miss too many balls. He would have made only three or four errors, I think. It was a matter of hanging in there and waiting for my chances.
I felt like it got better and better as the match went on, which is a good thing.

Q. How do you think you've pulled up?
LLEYTON HEWITT: At the moment I feel pretty good, considering what I've been through, the calf injury and everything. Right at the moment, I'm feeling as good as I could coming back from two sets to love in a grinding match from a guy that plays pretty similarly to me.
There was a lot of running from both of us out there. Right at the moment it's hard to tell, but I feel pretty good right at the moment.

Q. Can that competitive match help get your juices flowing like that?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It can. I'm never one to shy away from a contest. That's what it was tonight. The deeper and harder I was pushed out there, the better I felt like I came up with my best tennis when I needed to.
My serve started coming together. My movement, started being a bit more aggressive, took it to him. I was able to turn it around somehow.

Q. Looking ahead now, are you concerned you've spent that extra amount of time on court tonight, or is it not a worry because you didn't have all that match practice you really would have liked last week?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I would have liked to have got through a bit more comfortably. But, yeah, I don't think it's going to mean much in a day or so's time. Played enough big matches. I've done enough hard work in November and December to bounce back.

Q. Any symbolism in kissing the court at the end of the match? Some might consider it unusual because it's the first round. Are you all of a sudden in love with the Rebound Ace?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I don't think it's so much the Rebound Ace. I think it's more the arena and what the place means to me.
It was a big match to get out of. I had to dig as hard as I've ever had to dig. I've had some big matches there. I've come back from two sets to Love there once before in a big match, as well. Yeah, it's not a bad arena for me.

Q. Does that worry you, that you had to dig so hard so early on in the tournament?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not really, no. Should be okay.

Q. You've told us a couple days ago how you believe you're mentally fit. After tonight, does this help that cause in terms of being able to come back from two sets down?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, absolutely. If I wasn't ready for the challenge, then I would have been out in the first round tonight. Yeah, I was ready for the challenge and whatever he was going to throw at me. He threw basically the kitchen sink at me out there tonight. I tried to throw it back and put some pressure on him.
Somehow I was able to turn the match around and get it into my favor. Going into the fifth set, the thought of losing never entered my mind.

Q. Dancevic next round, Lleyton.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah. I've never played against him, never hit with him. A little bit of an unknown. He's an up-and-comer. From what I've seen in the past, he's, yeah, a pretty complete player I think, all-court kind of player, nice forehand, nice single-handed backhand. Nice first serve, likes to flatten it out a bit.
Yeah, I'll find out a bit more. I'll be ready.

Q. Any twinge with your calf?
LLEYTON HEWITT: No, I feel pretty good. From what I've come through, the amount of treatment, to put it through that tonight, for it to hold up, it was pretty good (smiling).

End of FastScripts

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