Two WildCards for this years tournament have been announced.
Last year’s surprise semi finalist James Ward has been handed direct entry into the Main Draw. A well deserved award after his excellent run last year.
“Reaching the semi-finals last year was a fantastic experience, the best of my career so far,” said the 25-year-old.
“I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to try to make the most of what is a great opportunity.”
The second WC has been handed to 4 time champion Lleyton Hewitt as he continues his comeback after toe surgery.
“It’s been one of my favourite tournaments throughout my career and to be alongside John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Andy Roddick in having won the title four times is a thrill,” said Hewitt.
“It’s going to be great to come back after my injury and go straight out onto the best grass courts in the world and then hopefully have Wimbledon to look forward to after that. I can’t wait.”
Lleyton Hewitt has been lucky enough to receive a wildcard into the French Open 2012. He sat down to talk about the French Open 2012 and how he is going to prepare.
Though he is currently out after an operation on his left foot Lleyton has confirmed his participation at this year’s Campbell’s Hall Of Fame Tennis Championship in Newport.
Lleyton will also be playing the two big London grass tournaments, Queen’s Club, where is a 4 times champion and of course Wimbledon were he lifted the trophy in 2002.
Other players already confirmed for the Newport event are rising stars of the game, John Isner & Milos Raonic.
To find out more about this tournament and the Hall of Fame visit the official website.
Lleyton Hewitt has continued his great run in the Australian Open 2012. Hewitt defeated (23) Milos Raonic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in a todays night match.
Hewitt has been struggling with recent injuries, but he still looks very determined and has been working really hard to show some good results.
Raonic has also been struggling with injuries and Im sure he will be back in the later stages of the Australian Open in the coming years.
Lleyton Hewitt has moved into the third round of the Australian Open 2012 at the expense of Andy Roddick. Roddick had to retire injured with Hewitt leading two sets to one at the time.
Hewitt was leading 3-6 6-3 6-4.
“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 will now play Canadian Milos Raonic in the third round.
It will be very interesting to see how the Double progresses. If Australia can take the doubles, then I can see the tie coming down to the Lleyton Hewitt vs Stanislas Wawrinka match.
Former US Open Champion Lleyton Hewitt has been granted a wildcard into the 2011 US Open main draw. Hewitt is currently ranked 165 in the world and could make the main draw without this wildcard. It is good to see that he is getting a chance, but are they wasting this wildcard when they could be bringing new talent through the ranks?
“I’m really looking forward to New York. It’s 10 years on since I won there and I’ve still got the passion and hunger which is great,” Hewitt said.
Tennis Australia Head of Professional Tennis Todd Woodbridge said Hewitt was fully deserving of a spot in the main draw.
“Lleyton has achieved some of his best results in New York and it is ten years since his victory,” Woodbridge said.
“He’s had a tough run with injuries over the past few months but his fighting spirit is undiminished and we are very pleased to be able to grant him a wildcard into the US Open.”
I believe that Hewitt deserved a chance to play the US Open, but why doesnt he have his ranking inside the top 100, when he hasnt been injury for some time now? Serena Williams didnt take long to get her ranking back up there, but Hewitt hasnt even got close!
Both Li Na and Petra Kvitova have confirmed that they will be playing at the Hopman Cup next January.
Li Na will play for China with Wu Di and Kvitova with Tomas Berdych. The Kvitova and Berdych combination are going to be extremely hard to beat!
Additionally, it will be interesting to see how Australia do with Lleyton Hewitt and Jarmila Gajdosova. I would have much rather seen Bernard Tomic and Samantha Stosur play for Australia!!
For some reason Australia has chosen to play on grass for their upcoming Davis Cup tie with Switzerland in September. This choice seems foolish considering Roger Federer is pretty much unbeatable on grass!
I can only think this is because they are going to play Tomic and Guccione who both have very large serves and their best surface is grass. However, they need to basically win 2 singles and the doubles, because they will lose 2 singles rubbers to Roger Federer.
There has been no official comment from Tennis Australia on why they select grass over the other surfaces.
The Australia-Switzerland winner will advance to the topflight World Group next year.
Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione have been able to push Australia ahead in their Davis Cup tie against China. The pair defeated Maoxin Gong and Zhe Li 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Australia now lead the tie 2-1.
Friday’s Results:
Bernard Tomic d Zhang Ze 6-3 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Di Wu d Marinko Matosevic 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-4
In a bit of a shock, Lleyton Hewitt has been left out of Australia’s Davis Cup tie with China. Hewitt has been saved for the doubles match while Bernard Tomic and Marinko Matosevic will play the single rubbers.
Tomic (71) and Matosevic (141) are still heavy favourites against the Chinese players Wu (404) and Zhang Ze (382).
Hewitt and Chris Guccione will contest the doubles rubber against Mao-Xin Gong and and Li Zhe.
Roger was asked, “do you welcome the Australians having a tennis player for a change after their great heritage?”
Federer commented:
“You talk like Lleyton isn’t around anymore. Be careful. He could have beaten Soderling. We’d be talking differently. For me, he still remains a great champion, always will be.
He almost seems a bit injured to me I’m sure he’s never going to say what was actually the problem with him. But he can really battle through, you know, I think tough moments.
That’s why I admire, you know, him as a player and his work ethic.”
As an Australian it is great to see another player doing well. For a long time we have had great tennis players at the top of the world game. Recently, we have been struggling to produce great male players (women players are doing very well and getting better). Thus, it is great to see Bernard Tomic playing some good tennis, but ideally Australia should really be aiming to have at least 20 players in the top 100 and at the moment we have none!
Roger Federer has pulled out of the Halle tournament due to groin pain. Roger was scheduled to face Lleyton Hewitt in the first round, but the Australia must now be feeling a lot more confident about his chances.
Roger said:
“I am very disappointed as it is one of my favorite tournaments on the ATP World Tour, but my body and especially my groin need a rest after the French Open. After talking with my team this morning, I feel that it is too big a risk to take a chance and aggravate it before Wimbledon.
I send my very best wishes to the tournament organisers and all my fans in Halle, and again I am so sorry I can’t go this year. But I will see you next year.”
Here in Queensland it hasn’t really been the best of times lately. It has just been announced that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will play an exhibition match on Sunday ahead of the Australian Open to raise funds for the country’s flood victims.
Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Kim Clijsters will join Lleyton Hewitt in a “Rally for Relief” match at Rod Laver Arena. Also participating will be Sam Stosur and retired star Pat Rafter, who both come from Queensland.
Stosur said the flooding, which has killed 25 people since November and trashed the city of Brisbane, is an “enormous disaster” and “lots of us just want to make some sort of contribution.”
It was great see Australia win their first match of the 2011 Hopman Cup. However, Im getting a little bit tired of seeing the same players year after year after year. Is this because Australian tennis isnt producing quality youngsters or is it because the organisers are just trying to fill as many seats as possible and not blood young players into the limelight?
Lleyton Hewitt has announced that Tony Roche will become his new coach for 2011. Roche previously coached Hewitt between July 2007 and August 2009 and was last month re-appointed Australian Davis Cup coach under new captain Pat Rafter.
“I’m really looking forward to working with both guys and feel that if I can keep the body performing then I can climb back up the ranks again,” said Hewitt, who has slid to No.55 in the rankings.
“I have been discussing this with Rochey for a few months now prior to him accepting the job as Australian Davis Cup coach, and when he asked me about taking that role with Pat, I thought that would work in well with what we were planning for myself.”
Do you think with the help of Tony Roche that Lleyton Hewitt will be able to lift his game and challenge for Grand Slam titles again?
