Tennis: Lleyton Hewitt advances to 3rd round of Aust. Open
By JOCELYN GECKER
Associated Press Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia � That epic match in 2008, Lleyton Hewitt remembers it well.
It set a record just for starting � at 11:47 p.m. it was the latest start for a singles match in Australian Open history.
Five sets and nearly five hours later, it ended when Hewitt smacked a final forehand past Marcos Baghdatis at 4:34 a.m. � a record for the latest finish.
Two years later, Hewitt calls it the most memorable match of his career and he�s bracing for the rematch, which will come once again in the third round of the Australian Open.
�Hopefully, we�ll get done a little earlier than last time,� Hewitt said after his straight sets second-round win Thursday over American Donald Young, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1.
Young has some advice for Baghdatis about tuning out the boisterous, stadium-wide chanting in favor of Hewitt, an Australian and former No. 1-ranked player who is vying to become the first hometown champion since 1976.
�You just have to imagine they�re cheering for you,� said Young, a 20-year-old qualifier. �Obviously, you know your name is not �Lleyton� or �Hewitt� and you�re not Australian but you�ve just got to take it and focus on playing your game.�
After a close first set, Hewitt was down 2-4 in the second when he picked up his serve, gained momentum and cheered himself on with his trademark rallying cry of �COME ON!�
�My serve got better as the match went on, and that definitely put me in a better position to be a little bit more aggressive on his service games,� said Hewitt, who won the 2001 U.S. Open, Wimbledon in 2002 and was runner-up in Melbourne in 2005. This year�s appearance marks the 28-year-old Australian�s 14th straight Australian Open.
Hewitt has a 128-42 win-loss record at majors, with top-seeded Roger Federer being the only active player to record more Grand Slam match wins (190-27).
Hewitt is bracing for his Saturday match against Baghdatis to be another prime-time evening match.
�I�m gathering that it will be Saturday night,� said Hewitt, who has taken up residence in the Bahamas with his wife, Australian actress Bec Cartwright, and their two children. �It doesn�t worry me, day or night.�
Lengthy discussion was paid Thursday to the topic of late-night matches, after fellow Australian Bernard Tomic complained that at 17 he�s too young to stay up late at night.
�I think it�s ridiculous,� Tomic said after losing his second-round, five-setter to Croatia�s Marin Cilic 6-7 (6), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Their match started at 10:20 p.m. and ended shortly after 2 a.m..
�Name me any sport you play at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, except this,� he added, noting that he likes to be in bed before 10. �I think if I would have played during the day, I would have had a better chance.�
Tournament director Craig Tiley summoned Tomic to speak about the outburst � which could result in a fine � but Tomic declined to discuss what was said.
�There were a few things mentioned. Nothing really that we can talk about now,� Tomic said later.
He got little sympathy from Hewitt.
�If you get scheduled at night ... you�ve got to be prepared for that to happen,� Hewitt said.
Baghdatis offered the same advice.
�That�s the way it is. We have to deal with it,� Baghdatis said after surviving his own five-setter against No. 17-seeded David Ferrer, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-1.
�We don�t have to find excuses,� said Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open runner-up. �We have to find a way to win every match we play, even if it�s in tough conditions. That�s all.�