ALL THINGS ATP

© Getty ImagesRoger Federer has won the US Open title five times.

The US Open has been both extraordinarily kind and agonisingly cruel to Roger Federer. JOEL DRUCKER examines the 10 matches that have defined the Swiss master’s eventful career at Flushing Meadows.

The US Open’s swirling blend of commerce and commotion make it arguably more disruptive than any of tennis’ majors. But winning has a way of calming all wounds, so by the time Federer earned the first of five straight US Open titles in 2004, New York’s noisy nuances had become mere background music. In the ensuing years there have been many highs along with some heartbreaking defeats…

No. 10: Daunting Debut 
2000 first round: Federer d. Peter Wessels, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 3-4

On the eve of his US Open debut, Roger Federer was ranked 40 in the world – not bad for a 19 year old. But he’d also lost in the first round of six straight ATP World Tour events. Taking on 89th-ranked DutchmanPeter Wessels in the first round of the 2000 US Open, Federer promptly lost the first two sets, rallied to level the match – and was then the benefactor of fortune. In the eighth game of the fifth set, Wessels retired with a sprained ankle. Federer would lose in the third round to Juan Carlos Ferrero. But Hall of Famer Pancho Segura, former coach of Jimmy Connors, would issue a prophetic comment as he witnessed that defeat: “This kid Federer could well have a Pete Sampras-like career.”

“This kid Federer could well have a Pete Sampras-like career”

No. 9: If I Can Make it Here, I’ll Make it Anywhere
2004 quarter-finals: Federer d. Andre Agassi, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

It began on a Wednesday night, the New York crowd cheering passionately for the 34-year-old American icon. After all, who was Federer at this point but a stylish European who’d yet to bite the Big Apple? The two split the first two sets. But one game after Federer had barely squeaked out the third, rain forced a postponement. The next day was extraordinarily disruptive, winds in excess of 25 miles per hour knocking over chairs and courtside umbrella stands. “Hitting the ball in the centre was a great shot,” said Agassi. Locked into battle, forced to constantly adjust his feet and shot selection choices, Federer dropped the fourth, but found just enough to win the fifth. “You would touch the ball, and the ball would fly a long, long way,” said Federer. “So in the end, it was more just trying to wait for the opponent’s mistake.” Liberated in the wake of such blustery anguish, Federer won his next two matches without the loss of a set – and so began his New York reign.

No. 8: Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright 
2006 final: Federer d. Andy Roddick 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1

Sitting in Federer’s box was new friend Tiger Woods. “He promised to come if I’m in the finals,” said Roger, “and so I had some pressure.” Additional pressure came from his opponent, 2003 US Openchampion Andy Roddick. A big factor in Roddick’s resurgence was his own tiger: new coach Jimmy Connors, who’d often worn a necklace with the word ‘Tig’ on it. At one set apiece, with Roddick serving at 5-6, Federer broke it open, winning seven of the next eight games. Federer out-aced Roddick 17 to 7, struck twice as many winners – 69 to 33 – and made only 19 unforced errors. Federer had been delighted to please his special guest. “That’s something I haven’t felt before,” he said, “a guy who knows how it feels to be invincible at times.”

No. 7: Newcomer At The Dance
2009 final: Juan Martin del Potro d. Federer, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2

Federer sought a record sixth straight US Open title – and his first Slam since the July birth of his twin daughters. Carving up Slam final newcomerJuan Martin del Potro, in the second set Federer served at 5-4, 30-love – two points away from a near-impregnable two sets to love lead. But then, at 30-all, del Potro won a challenge and soon leveled the match. The fifth was nearly a formality, del Potro running away with it, 6-2. Said del Potro, the only the only man to date to have intruded on the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic Slam domination over the past 30 majors, “To win in five against Federer makes it even more special.”

“Seeing them challenge me, beating them in the final, it’s really for me the best feeling”

No. 6: If You Strike A King, You Must Kill Him
2007 final: Federer d. Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4

Twenty-year-old Novak Djokovic was the belle of the ball; his powerful groundstrokes and humorous impressions charming the world. Federer of course was intent on ringing the midnight bell on New York’s Cinderella – and also becoming the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win four straight US men’s singles titles. Djokovic struck boldly. In the first set the Serb served at 6-5, 40-love. But Federer rallied, fighting off a total of five set points in that opening stanza. Djokovic also held two set points in the second, but again Federer emerged the victor – and in time, Roger took the third, 6-4. Said Federer about how he’d repelled a young upstart, “Seeing them challenge me, beating them in the final, it’s really for me the best feeling.”

No. 5: Eyes Wide Shut
2010 semi-final: Novak Djokovic d. Federer, 5-7, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5

For the fourth straight year at the US Open, Federer took on Novak Djokovic. The energy was electric, each player striking powerful groundstrokes into every corner of the court. Federer, hungry to reach the final again following his 2009 loss to del Potro, won a tight first set, 7-5. But Djokovic’s rapid 6-1 second set win gave an indication of strong resistance. Back and forth it went, till in the fifth Federer held two match points on Djokovic’s serve. Djokovic fought them both off boldly – a forehand drive volley winner on the first, a topspin laser of a forehand on the second. Said Djokovic, “I was just closing my eyes and hitting forehands as fast as I can on the match points.” Finally, after three hours and 44 minutes of body blows, Federer netted a forehand and Djokovic had emerged the winner. Said Federer, “It’s a tough loss for me but it’s only going to fuel me with more motivation to practise hard and get back to Grand Slam finals.”

No. 4: Taking the Fifth 
2008 fourth round: Federer d. Igor Andreev, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

For the first time since 2002, Federer arrived in New York without having won a Grand Slam singles title all year. In the fourth round he came up against Igor Andreev. It didn’t matter that prior to 2008 Andreev had only won two matches at the US Open. It didn’t matter that Andreev was ranked 23rd in the world. It didn’t matter that Federer had won their only previous match. What mattered was that on this day Andreev – streaky, with a massive forehand – had snapped up the first set and the second was deadlocked at 6-6. Even after Federer levelled the match and took the third, Andreev would not go away, sending it into a fifth before Federer at last closed it out after three-and-a-half hours. Saving 13 of 15 break points, coming to net 84 times, Federer was elated. “I expected a tough one,” he said. “You always get ready for five-setters… and the pressure is huge on me, because Igor doesn’t have a whole lot to lose.” Three more victories brought Federer his fifth straightUS Open title.

No. 3: Roger’s Reign Begins
2004 final: Federer d. Lleyton Hewitt, 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0

It was Federer’s first US Open final. Across the net stood Lleyton Hewitt, a gritty past champion who at that point had beaten Federer seven out of 12 times. What to expect? Answer: utter dominance. In 18 amazing minutes, Federer dropped just five points and won the first set 6-0. With trademark tenacity, Hewitt stiffened, but Federer squeaked out the second in a tie-break – and once again poured it on, inflicting another bagel on the Aussie in the third. Barely a year after he’d earned his first major, Federer was already making big history, becoming only the fourth man in the Open era to win three majors in a calendar year. Longstanding tennis legend Jack Kramer watched the action from the USTA President’s box in awe. Said Kramer, “He’s good on defence and so good at the return of serve that he’s forcing the other player mentally to get a little of scaredness.” Though he’d rapidly won his first four Slam finals, Federer repelled any talk of an epic tally. Asked if he could rival Sampras’ record of 14 major victories, the 23-year-old Swiss said, “It’s not a goal for me to beat his record. For me, this is not motivation. This would just kill me.”

“He plays the game in a very special way that I haven’t seen before”

No. 2: Sequel from Hell
2011 semi-final: Novak Djokovic d. Federer, 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5

For the most part, the concept of history repeating itself has been pleasing for Federer fans. But Federer’s 2011 US Open semi versus Novak Djokovic was a sequel of another colour. Once again, Federer won the first set. But this time he also won the second, surely a sign he’d be on the way to his seventh US Openfinal. Not quite. Djokovic handily took the next two sets. At 3-4 in the fifth, Federer broke and soon reached match point at 5-3, 40-15. Alas, his wide serve into the deuce court was what baseball players would call a hanging curve, a 108 mph delivery not quite short or deep enough. Credit Djokovic, though, who saw an opening and crushed a forehand crosscourt winner John McEnroe called, “one of the all-time great shots.” On the next point, a Federer forehand clipped the net and went out. Djokovic went on to win 15 of the next 19 points, beating Federer from double match point down in the semis for the second year in a row. Federer had been denied a Grand Slam singles title in a year for the first time since 2002. Said Roger, “Sometimes in sports it just goes the other way. Maybe you’ve already won so much that it evens it out a bit sometimes. I don’t know.”

No. 1: Rinse & Repeat
2005 final: Federer d. Andre Agassi, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1

To take one US Open title? Yes. To take another? Altogether different. So it was that Federer’s quest to repeat at theUS Open required vaulting a considerable hurdle: Andre Agassi, making one last go. At the age of 35, playing his 20th straight Open, Agassi had New York in his hands – and even more, wielded his racquet with all the power and flair that had earned him eight major titles, including two US Opens. With the match levelled at a set apiece, Agassi led 4-2, 30-love, a storybook close to his career tantalisingly close. Suddenly, Federer snapped the door shut, breaking back. In the third set tie-break, Federer lost the first point, and then ripped through it – seven straight to take a commanding lead. In the fourth, he again seized the day, dropping just one game. Said Agassi, “He’s the best I’ve ever played against. He plays the game in a very special way that I haven’t seen before.” Federer was well aware of what the occasion had meant. “This is probably the most special Grand Slam final in my career,” he said. “To play against Andre in New York, it’s a dream.”

Australia has been searching for a successor to Lleyton Hewitt for some time now and in Bernard Tomic, they may just have found it. Self-taught and hugely talented, the teenager has already cracked the world’s Top 30 and has set his sights on getting to the very top.

Twelve months ago, a tall, gangly 18 year old arrived at Wimbledon with a bundle of talent, a burgeoning reputation at home but a ranking of 158, still unproven on the biggest stage. Seven matches later and Australia was hailing a new hero.

Having come through the notoriously difficult qualifying competition, which is played at a different venue to The Championships, an undaunted Tomic set about ripping up the form book with wins overNikolay Davydenko, Igor Andreev, Robin Soderling and Xavier Malisse. As the youngest quarter-finalist at Wimbledon since Boris Becker in 1986, Tomic then took a set off Novak Djokovic and pushed the eventual champion hard in the fourth set before finally running out of steam.

“Though still a teenager, he relishes the big occasion”

“He uses the pace fantastically,” Djokovic said at the time. “You can see he feels really comfortable on the court. Obviously what he lacks a little bit more is that experience. But it comes with the time. I’m sure if he continues this way, he’s going to be a top player very soon.”

The World No. 1 is clearly a good judge of a player because 12 months on, Tomic will go into Wimbledon as an established player inside the world’s Top 30. A run to the last 16 at the Australian Open was more evidence that though still a teenager, he relishes the big occasion. He is already a big-time player.

When Pat Rafter retired in 2002, Australia was fortunate enough to have a ready-made replacement in Lleyton Hewitt, who was already World No. 1 at the time. With Hewitt nearing the end of his career, the search has been on for his successor and the interest in Tomic has been understandably intense.

For a 19 year old, Tomic does a good job of handling everything that gets thrown at him. Popular with the other players on the ATP World Tour, he recently put his orange sports car up for sale, another sign of his growing maturity. Having dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s, Australia are pinning their hopes on him, a pressure that would be difficult for anyone to cope with.

“It was a bit (tough) last year,” Tomic said, as he relaxed at the Monte Carlo Country Club, now his local tennis club after a recent move to make the principality his base. “I had a little bit of pressure the last year but not so much now. I’ve learnt to relax and just play tennis. I think when you play pressure tennis, and you think too much, you don’t play good. For me, when I relax I play my best tennis.”

His best tennis is pretty impressive. Just ask Roger Federer, who ended his run in Australia this year with a clinical performance but who saw enough to know that he is likely to be around a lot more in the years to come.

“They struggle against my game because I take a bit of the normal out of tennis”

“He’s very good,” Federer said. “Obviously now it’s about keeping it up time and time again, also when he is playing on the smaller courts. But so far he’s handled expectations really well and he’s improved a lot since last year. There’s much more that’s going to come the Australian way, I would say.”

In an era when Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray have pushed the standards of baseline tennis to a new high, the arrival of Tomic has been a breath of fresh air. His technique probably wouldn’t make it into your average coaching manual but that is what sets him apart. He can hit every shot and then some you would not even think of, while he is almost single-handedly bringing the sliced forehand back into fashion. His hand-eye coordination is incredible and he loves nothing more than to change the pace, which unsettles even the best of opponents.

Born in Stuttgart and raised in Australia from the age of three-and-a-half, most of his guidance has been done by his father, John. But the most remarkable thing of all is that his style of play is innate. “When you’re young I think it’s all about how you develop, how you play the game,” he said. “You’ve got to have your own sense. No one taught me how to play. I kind of taught myself and became good at it.

“I am lucky, I have a quick sense and understand the court and understand tennis. I know how to pick up these weaknesses. If you look at the guys, 80 to 90 per cent of the Tour is exactly the same. That’s why they struggle against my game because I take a bit of the normal out of tennis.

“Every day I am learning to play new shots, new positions on court and how to hit. When I started at 7 or 8, until 15, I learnt a lot. But from 15 to now, in three, four years, I have learnt so much and imagine how I will be in another two years. I’m ready for this challenge. It’s going to be interesting. I have a good career ahead of me, if I stay healthy. You can’t play if you’re not healthy – we may as well go to the beach.”

The good thing about Tomic is that he knows he is far from the finished article and is willing to work at it. At 6ft 4in (1.93m) he believes he has stopped growing and for his height he moves well. But if he is going to make that next step up towards the very top, he appreciates he has to work as hard, if not harder than the rest.

“If you look at the top three, four in the world, their bodies are among the best,” he said. “They can endure the most out of the year and they are competing in every tournament they play, making the semis or more. To become that good a player you need to be the right athlete. I have to be disciplined. Talent is one thing but work beats talent.”

“ Talent is one thing but work beats talent”

There is no doubt that Tomic has the game to excel on all surfaces, particularly as he matures and grows in strength and experience. It is on grass, though, where he really excels. His serve is good enough to win plenty of free points and none of the big names want to see him in their section of the draw. With the Olympics also to be played at Wimbledon this year, three weeks after The Championships, Tomic has two opportunities to really make a name for himself. It is a challenge he is looking forward to and one that you get the feeling he really believes he can accomplish.

“It’s my all-time, all career favourite, Wimbledon,” he said. “A lot of players don’t like playing me and the grass surface is perfect for that. I love the ball low, so it’s not a problem for me. Maybe I can do even better than last year.

“And the Olympics, it’s anyone’s dream to play the Olympics. It’s a huge tournament. Every player is there, Roger and Rafa, all of us. I have those two big tournaments to look forward to, Wimbledon and the Olympics and I’m ready for this year for Wimbledon to step up and have a good one, a better one.”

© Getty ImagesNow 30, Feliciano Lopez has become a Top 20 player on the ATP World Tour after enlisting the guidance of long-time friend Alberto Berasategui.

It’s time to take Feliciano Lopez seriously. Long overshadowed on court by his own good looks and his successful countrymen, the Spaniard is now a Top 20 contender with dreams of Olympic glory.

From the Players’ Lounge at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia a call is placed to the Hotel Parco Dei Principi for Feliciano Lopez, who happens to be is sitting in the lobby. There is just one problem: The receptionist at the hotel does not know who Feliciano Lopez is, or even what he looks like. The voice on the other end helps her out a little.

“Bello. Bello. Bellissimo!”

Immediately, the receptionist locates Lopez.

“As an athlete I would first like to be talked about for my tennis results”

For such a long time Feliciano Lopezwas recognised more for his model good looks than his tennis game. Now, at the age of 30, he is playing the best tennis of his career. Having bided his time and honed his game, Lopez entered the Top 20 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings for the first time in his career last year. Now, Lopez has emerged from the shadows of Spain’s stable of tennis greats and served notice that he himself is a contender.

“Yes, at times it can be a bit annoying,” admits Lopez, when asked about all the attention paid to his looks rather than his game. “Obviously, as an athlete I would first like to be talked about for my tennis results, and then whatever else. But I have to do my part on the court, too.”

Up until last spring, Lopez was considered a career Top 35 player. But Lopez was not satisfied and he knew he needed something different if he was going to make a run at the top. Time was running out, and his search for a new coach took him way outside the box. Lopez called up a long-time friend and former Top 10 player, Alberto Berasategui, even though his countryman had been away from tennis for more than 10 years.

“I was thinking about taking a new coach,” begins Lopez, “and the best person would be Alberto because we were always on the phone over the years. Plus, when I left the Federation as a junior and was in transition from the juniors to professional, I trained with him and his coach, Francisco Roig, for about a year. They helped me a lot then in many ways. But then Alberto retired from tennis and completely got away from the sport. Now he has a family with four kids. I never thought he would say yes, but he did. I was so surprised and happy.”

“I never had the intention to return to the ATP tour as a coach,” says Berasategui. “I was going to work as a commentator last year at Roland Garros with Tomas Carbonell. Then Feliciano called me and asked if I could help him. We have been close friends for a long time. I thought the idea was interesting and that I could help him. The timing was good. Feliciano has arrived at a certain point in his life and he has matured greatly.”

“I was very surprised when they started together,” admits Carlos Moya, “because Alberto had been gone for so long. But it turned out to be a good choice. Also, when you hire a new coach the player is always more open-minded. You tend to listen more and take information easier.”

From that point, Lopez started taking aim at the Top 20 and all standing in his way. He reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the third time, the semi-finals of the Shanghai Rolex Masters and the Round of 16 at theAustralian Open.

“I think my tennis is better now than when I was younger,” explains Lopez. “I play more relaxed, I enjoy my sport, and in general I enjoy the tour more, even when I go to practice and when I have to take a plane. I did not expect at my age - I am going to be 31 in September - to be this healthy. All these things add up.”

“Feliciano has arrived at as certain point in his life and he has matured greatly”

“Maybe the most important improvement for Feli the last year has been the serenity of his mind,” says Berasategui. “We get along very well on and off the court. He loves to train, and not only in tennis but fitness, too. Yes, there might have been times in his career when he did not, but he has matured and he seems to be enjoying it again. No doubt there can be some things on the tour that are boring, but you get to a stage where it becomes fun again. On the technical side he has added more topspin backhands to his game and not just slicing so much.”

It is no secret that the men’s game has gotten slower. The courts, that is. Players who approach the net early in the point are all but extinct. So, how does Feliciano Lopez manage to rise up the rankings with a throwback style of serve, slice and volley?

First off, take a good long look at his body. Lopez stands at 6’2”, but he has been blessed with a large pair of broad shoulders that taper down into the perfect V-shaped back defined by thick obliques that bulge out from his abs. And that frame is powered by calf muscles from hell. Lopez is built like an Olympic 100 metre swimmer.

“Feli is a great athlete,” says Moya. “He has a great serve and volley game. I think 15 years ago he would have been ranked much higher than today. He has matured a lot, and has been playing some good tennis. When he is playing well, it is very tough to play him because of his style.”

Speaking of the Olympics, it is no secret that the Spanish Tennis Federation goes by rankings when selecting the four singles players for the Games. While few are openly talking about it, the final spot on Spain’s Olympic tennis team is surely on the minds of some. Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro have all wrapped up the first three slots. The fourth and final place is a running battle between Fernando Verdasco and Lopez, currently 16th and 17th in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.

“The Olympics has not been the best for Feliciano’s tennis this year,” says Berasategui. “The last few months I think he has put too much pressure on himself and, as a result, not played as free as he can. Since the Australian Open, he has had too much in his head, trying to maintain his ranking. I think it has been counter-productive. The only thing that I can hope for is that we have a good campaign at Roland Garros and, win or lose, he qualifies or does not qualify. Let this be over and let’s get back to improving his tennis game.”

“The most important improvement for Feli has been the serenity of his mind”

“Obviously, since I knew the Olympic Games were going to be at WimbledonI was thinking about being there,” says Lopez. “It is a great opportunity for me as it is on grass. And at my age, maybe my last for singles. To be honest, I think it might have been too much pressure that I put on myself and kept me from playing my best. At Barcelona I had match points (against Ferrer). I had been playing great but could not close. There were three or four matches like this, and my attitude in Rome was not good because I lost so many matches in a row with so many chances and that pressure in my mind, it was too much. I should not have put that in my mind so much.”

“Feliciano can still improve,” says Berasategui. “The main thing with his style of play is to be more bold when he is serving and winning the game. There is no need for him to get nervous.”

Feliciano Lopez will do well to heed his coach Alberto Berasategui’s advice of staying relaxed and playing bold at Roland Garros if his dream of participating in the singles draw at the 2012 Olympics is to come true. If Lopez can somehow grab the spot on the team, we can expect big things from Spain’s newest star this summer.

Frenchman Gilles Simon is on the verge of the Top 10 again, determined to develop a big game to ensure he achieves success on the sport’s grandest stages.

You’ll know where to find Gilles Simon at Roland Garros, shortly before his match is called onto court. He’ll be one of the players sleeping on the sumptuous burgundy-coloured leather sofas in the locker room. Relaxed, saving his energy, he’ll be topping up the 10 hours of sleep he needs per day. He will have eaten his favoured “original” meal of meat, rice and pasta hours before, while the Head racquets in his bag will have been re-gripped and the frames strung at his desired 24.5 kilograms (54lbs) tension. Thierry Tulasne, his full-time coach since 2007, will have not left anything to chance, discussing Plans A, B & C. Physical trainer Paul Quetin’s job will be complete.

“It is very rare to find a player as relaxed as Gilles before matches”

“It is very rare to find a player as relaxed as Gilles before matches - in the locker room or at lunch,” Tulasne told DEUCE at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. “As a player, I tried to be nice and relaxed before I played, but I felt butterflies in my stomach. Sometimes Gilles’ mind isn’t on the match early enough. He should feel the pressure. An hour before the match, I sometimes ask him to ‘feel the pressure’, to be ready the minute he steps on the court.” There is no doubt, with Tulasne by his side, Simon has the right man. “There was an enormous amount of pressure on every French player when I played,” explained the former World No. 10. “That is why, I feel, we work well together. Everything he feels, I felt. I can help him deal with those pressures. Yannick Noah found the right way to play in Paris. He is one of my best friends and I use his experience for Gilles.”

In the 30 minutes until Simon strides out on the court all French players love, Court Philippe Chatrier, he will be nervous. He’ll be happy with his preparations, but anxious he may not perform as he will hope. “I am nervous when I play at Roland Garros,” Simon told DEUCE, in the players’ lounge, at the Foro Italico. “It is a very important tournament to me and I care about how I perform there. When the tournament is important, you want to do something good. That is why it is difficult, because sometimes you don’t perform well.”

That fear, has distracted him - and every French player down the years - the most. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be in the locker room, having spent time on the physio’s table; his great friend from juniors, Gael Monfils, will be stretching with resistance ropes, bouncing around or applying strapping up his knees, while Richard Gasquet will be getting loose and mentally preparing. Simon’s wife, Carine, and their son, Timothé, will be in the stands and the World No. 12 will have none of his beloved PlayStation computer games to let his mind drift. Just himself and the vision of player activity as he counts down the minutes to the Referees’ call to action.

Simon handled the pressure admirably 12 months ago, in victories overJeremy Chardy and Mardy Fish on Roland Garros’ main show court, en route to the fourth round. Over the past seven years, the patriotic Frenchman has gotten used to the attention he has received. “I have gotten used to the pressure and the attention surrounding it,” said Simon. “I feel much more confident and stronger on the court. I am improving every year. Last season, I had a great feeling on the court reaching the fourth round.” But the start of each Roland Garros is different. As each year passes, the shadow cast by the emotional scenes surrounding Noah’s triumph in 1983, grows. Ten Frenchman are listed in the Top 100 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Each player hopes to shine in late May on their grandest stage.

“Gilles doesn’t suffer from the attention Jo, Gael and Richard receive”

Among his compatriots, Simon is ‘Mr Consistent’. He has won 10 ATP World Tour singles titles - the most among active Frenchmen - which includes a run of trophy-winning success over six straight seasons (2007-2012). But Simon doesn’t have the personality of Tsonga or Monfils, whose power and athletic games ignite galleries worldwide, nor does he possess the elegance of Gasquet, whose classic technique pleases the sport’s purists. As a result, Simon is happy with the attention he receives. “With their personalities they attract crowds,” he said. “I am okay with it.”

Edouard Roger-Vasselin told DEUCE, at the Estoril Open, “He doesn’t get the headlines like Jo, Gael or Richard, but he remains at the top of the game. He plays from the baseline. He doesn’t have spectacular shots like Jo’s serve, Richard’s serve or Gael’s flare. But whenever you play against Gilles, you know it’s going to be a tough match.” Tulasne confirmed to DEUCE, “Gilles doesn’t suffer from the attention Jo, Gael and Richard receive. He knows why. Jo and Gael are black, tall, big, strong and are charismatic. Gilles knows, for him, it is about his results. If he has a big result and portrays the right image, he will get the attention. He wants to be himself, he doesn’t want to be someone else.” 

Simon has never hidden behind a mask. For Gasquet, Tsonga and Roger-Vasselin their abiding memory of “Gilou” as a junior is of a battler, prepared to endure any hardship to earn a win. Gasquet, who first met Simon when he was nine years old at a tournament in Bretagne, told DEUCE, “We played for three hours and I was destroyed. I had to pull out before my next match the following day.” Tsonga recalls, “I first met Gilles when I was 14 or 15 in Brest. We played a very long match!” Roger-Vasselin said, “I didn’t know him and he came over to me and started to say, ‘We’re playing our match over there.’ I thought he was a ball kid or something. He came back again and told me to go play.”

Yet, his talent wasn’t recognised by the French Tennis Federation until he was 19 years old. Gasquet remembers their first meetings, saying, “He always had the loopy forehand backswing and the same strengths as he has today. He never missed a ball. Gilles was quiet, friendly and very clever guy - even then.” Roger-Vasselin adds, “He was very small. I also won the next match against him, but his game was improving all the time. His game has always been based on his mental approach and the fact he can run for five hours without tiring.”

Of his junior career, Simon honestly admits, “I wasn’t good enough. I always played players far stronger than me. But I managed to improve my game and maintained the progression, despite being very skinny and small compared to other players. I always had my ability to anticipate; my feel for the game and see what was going on. As I wasn’t powerful, I was very aggressive when I was young. I played close to the baseline to control the point. But if my opponent was dominating, then I found it very tough and it was too difficult. I couldn’t do what I do right now, playing two to three metres behind the baseline, but I still hit powerful strokes.”

“I know if I can run then I have a good shot at winning”

In 2004, when the French Tennis Federation recognised Simon’s talent aged 19, Tulasne was charged with coaching a small group of players. He remembers his first impression, saying, “I was very surprised. He had a strange game. But he had one strength: he was an unbelievable runner. He was very fast and could maintain his on-court fitness for a long time. When I asked him what was his strength, he said, ‘I can run a lot, very fast.’ He was looking very confident. His physique and his confidence made me feel he could become a very good player.”

But it’s funny. Simon doesn’t like running too much off the court. “I just play my matches,” he confessed. “My game asks of me a lot. I have to run and cover the court. I don’t like running outside of the court.” Simon concedes that he may run for 45 minutes per day during a rare training block, but most of the time Quetin gets him to undertake 20-second interval training at different paces. Cycling is also favoured, but he isn’t a regular in tournament gyms. “I don’t like lifting weights too much [although he can lift 100 kilograms]. As tennis players you must work to your strengths and weaknesses, if a player is quick or powerful. My strength is I am able to cover the court unlike many players are unable to do. My body frame is slight and I know I will never be as naturally powerful as [Juan Martin] del Potro, for example.”

Today, one thing is certain, Simon makes the most of his 70-kilogram frame. Only Kei Nishikori, at No. 18 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, is the same weight among the Top 50. Simon can absorb pressure and dictate play with his flat backhand, while he has the ability to apply tremendous spin on his forehand wing. His net game is also an asset now. “One of his strengths is that he wants to improve his technique,” explains Tulasne. “He can do it, because he is talented. Because he doesn’t have the power, he has to win matches tactically. He may have to play for one hour, but once he gets the tactics right, he’ll win. He plays good first sets and the third sets, when his superior fitness counts.”

It comes as a surprise to Simon, a player so tactically adept and confident in debating a variety of subjects, that he does not know he possesses an exceptional record in winning first sets. According to the FedEx ATP Reliability Index, Simon has compiled a 23-1 record after winning first sets during the 2012 ATP World Tour season (as of 22 May) and is 193-27 (.877) lifetime. He insists, “Most of the time, I don’t get off to a good start. When my opponent is taller and stronger, hitting harder than me, I do find it tricky and complicated. When their levels drop, I am able to turn the matches around. That’s when, even when I win the first set, I know that if my opponent does come back, I will be ready to play long matches.”

Simon is certainly ready to make his move back into the Top 10.Currently at World No. 12, six spots off his career-high South African Airways ATP Rankings of No. 6 on 5 January 2009, the 27 year old has already lifted his third BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest last month. To play his best tennis, Simon confessed, “The conditions have to be good. For example, I need to be fit physically, so then I know I can run everywhere. As soon as I don’t have that feeling, then I know I can’t play my best tennis because my ability to cover the court is the key to my game. I am not two metres tall, so unlike most players, not hitting my serve well doesn’t affect my confidence. It doesn’t matter what court I play on, or who the opponent is, I know if I can run then I have a good shot at winning. If my opponent starts to hit winners, then I have to run and find solutions: to be more aggressive, if I am defending too much.”

“If I only do what I know, I will never become a better player”

And there is the rub. How do you transform a natural defender into an attacker overnight? You can’t, but after the US Open in September 2011, Simon started experimenting, explaining to Tulasne, ‘If I want to get better than No. 5 and I don’t try things, then I won’t become better than I was before.’ Tulasne, who previously coached Sebastien Grosjean and Paul-Henri Mathieu, confirmed this plan to DEUCE. “He tried to attack and be more relaxed during the match. He still feels the Top 4 are a level above the rest and that is why he is working hard to get to No. 5. He says, ‘If I only do what I know, I will never become a better player.’ So he is trying more things on the court, both tactically, technically and mentally. He wants to be more confident. Now, he has developed greater strengths and I do feel he will get to a higher level.”

Tsonga confesses, “Gilles’ greatest strength is getting to every ball. Even balls that are impossible. He makes his opponents play one extra shot, which maybe they don’t want to play.” Mikhail Youzhny told DEUCE, “He is a very good player and is always close to the Top 10. The level of his game is very high and it is admirable he has returned to near the Top 10 after his injuries. It shows the calibre of the player, just like del Potro. He has very good hands and he is quick and athletic enough to counteract the big servers.”

Simon has always liked to make it difficult for his opponent’s to beat him, but now, “I just think my level is high, between a ranking of No. 8 and No. 15. I have to work hard on my game to be in the group between No. 5 and No. 8. At the moment, No. 12 is my level, but if I am able to play a full season, without any injuries, I know I can make the second group in the Top 10. Some weeks will be harder than others. I think the Rankings are very good in tennis, because you have the points you’ve won for one year. I feel like you have the ranking you deserve, as it shows the level you’re game is at. You can’t be a World No. 1 or No. 20 through luck, it is because of your consistency. You can’t be No. 10 because of three good weeks in one year. The ATP World Tour, now, is very difficult, but I like the challenge.”

For Simon, the goal is not to take media attention from Tsonga, Monfils and Gasquet, but to harness his on-court energy and fulfil his desire to regain “the capacity to win every match that I felt in 2008”. Only then, can dreams of major championship glory, performing well for France at the Olympics and Davis Cup, or qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, be potentially realised. “I need to find it again,” he said. “If I can, I know I will do even better and improve my career-high No. 6 ranking.”

American John Isner reveals the last time…

I cooked for myself or others? 
A few weeks ago when I was at home. My speciality is anything with sweet potatoes and meat.

I flew economy class? 
I flew from Tampa to Houston. I always fly economy domestically.

I missed a flight? 
It’s been a long time. I am usually very anal about being on time. I’ve cut some flights close, but I can’t remember the last time I missed one.

I met a childhood idol? 
Last December, I met WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels.

I shared a hotel room with another player or a coach? 
Two years ago, my coach [Craig Boynton] and I were going to Madrid and had to re-route to Barcelona for one night.

I had to pay to use a tennis court? 
New York City, two years ago, when it rained.

I strung a tennis racquet? 
High school. I normally string from 60-63 lbs when I play on clay.

I dressed formally for a dinner? 
It would have been last month’s United States Davis Cup tie versus France in Monte-Carlo.

I slipped on my diet? 
This morning I had a croissant.

I forgot a family member/close friend’s birthday? 
I forgot my brother’s wife’s birthday last week. I don’t keep a diary.

I lost something important? 
I’m pretty good at taking care of my possessions. Wallet? No. Cell phone? No… Chapstick! My chapstick is very important.

I asked someone for their autograph?
Shawn Michaels? No! I was probably in middle school.

Being recognised helped me? 
In Houston, a lot of things happened there…

I visited a country for the first time? 
Monaco for the Davis Cup tie. I loved it and visited the casino.

I was asked if I was a tennis player?
If people have no idea who I am, I never get asked that.

by Kate Flory

 There’s no easy road back when you’re 33 and starting the season ranked inside the Top 200, but former World No. 2 Tommy Haas is determined to enjoy the time he has left competing.  

For a player with as much unfulfilled potential as Tommy Haas, one might well expect a degree of bitterness and frustration to run through his reflections on his tennis career. But the personality of Haas leads to a renewed sense of enthusiasm as he hopes to test himself against the game’s best, in what may well be his final hurrah on the ATP World Tour. There is a dogged determination to show the tennis world, one final time, just what he can do with a racquet and ball.

His game delights tennis purists. A mix of slice and topspin on the backhand side and an aggressive style that sees him follow in a first serve to the net. “I believe that Tommy has the type of game, that on any given day, he can beat the best of the lot,” declared Nick Bollettieri. “He plays offensive, he comes in, has a great slice, a big forehand, he volleys a lot.” But 16 years on tour has seen that aggressive style chip away at Haas’ body.

As he starts the 2012 ATP World Tour season, ranked World No. 205, he admits he is still not fully fit, and likely never will be after a career blighted by a succession of injuries. But it’s certainly not a scenario that’s going to trouble the man who underwent right shoulder surgery for the third time in November 2007, only to beatNovak Djokovic en route to the 2009 Wimbledon semi-finals (l. to Federer).

“I don’t really have any ranking goals any more,” Haas explained to DEUCE at the Brisbane International. “I’ve been out of it once before after my shoulder surgery; I was out for 15 months. I actually came back to the Top 10 and that was a goal of mine back then. Now it’s really not. Now it’s just trying to win another title and continue to play as long as I can without having too much pain. That’s really all it is.

“I just want to enjoy that moment of going out on the court, in front of a crowd, and have that feeling of a little pressure and wanting to win. It’s a special feeling that I don’t have in any other part of my life really. Going on the court and trying to win or trying to do well in certain situations is a feeling you can’t get any other way. It’s quite a privilege to have that feeling.”

“Tommy has the type of game, that on any given day, he can beat the best of the lot.”

Haas couldn’t have picked a more challenging era in which to mount a comeback. Just when the tennis world was accepting that Roger Federer andRafael Nadal would occupy the top two spots for the foreseeable future, along came Novak Djokovic to blast aside everyone in his path in 2011. “I don’t know if we’ve ever seen so many players at such a high level, that they can win any tournament at any given time,” noted Haas. “It’s a pretty special time right now in tennis.”

Far from serving as a de-motivator, though, the German is eager to add to the 12 ATP World Tour trophies that already adorn his cabinet, not to mention his four Grand Slam semi-final appearances – three of which came at the Australian Open. He is not ruling himself out from causing an upset somewhere down the track.

“That’s the beauty of the sport, you just never know,” he said. “There’s always room for upsets, who knows what can happen? You obviously have to tip your hat to the top four guys in the world right now that have dominated the game for many, many years. This is why I’m still competing, why I’m out there, to maybe get the chance to play one of the top guys again somewhere and just see where my game’s at and just enjoy it and let it go.”

Philipp Petzschner, a Davis Cup teammate and potential doubles partner at the London Olympics this summer, believes Haas still has the game to trouble the best. “He can definitely [be a threat at a Grand Slam]. He’s a great player. Three times I think he made it up to the Top 10 after injuries. He was World No. 2. He is a great, great tennis player and if he stays healthy he can be a threat to anybody out there.”

“If he stays healthy…” That’s the key according to Nick Bollettieri, who points out that, without movement, you have nothing in the modern game. “Tommy’s adamant he can do it,” explained the renowned tennis coach, who first took Haas under his wing, at his Florida academy, when the German was just 11 years old. “He will not take no for an answer. He goes in the gym, puts in the time and effort. He’s got beautiful techniques. But it’s all going to depend on the injuries.

“To beat that top four, you’ve got to be healthy. You can’t have your hip or shoulder bothering you. Cardio – he’s as fit as anything. But only the Lord knows if that shoulder will hold up, that’s the big thing. But being a German, they always think they can conquer the world anyway!”

“I keep coming back and showing that I have the game to be dangerous and beat anybody.”

There aren’t many players unluckier than Haas, who has had to deal with countless adversity on and off the court throughout his career. A quick developer, he created waves in 1997, when he was the youngest player, at 19 years old, to finish in the Top 50 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings. A year later, in 1998, he announced himself on the major stage when he defeated one of his tennis idols, Andre Agassi, in theWimbledon second round.

By 2002 he was firmly established among the game’s elite. Having reached the Australian Open semi-finals at the start of the season (l. to Safin), he rose to a career-high World No. 2 on 13 May.

However, just as he seemed set to challenge Lleyton Hewitt at the top of the South African Airways ATP Rankings, disaster struck. On 8 June, Haas’ parents were involved in a motorcycle crash that left his father in a coma. The German missed six weeks on tour to look after his parents, and, in what was a second half of the year to forget, he went under the surgeon’s knife for treatment to his right rotator cuff in December.

It was to be an injury that has persistently troubled Haas throughout his career. He missed the entire 2003 season due to more surgery, and went under the knife for the third time in November 2007. Haas sprained his ankle by stepping on a ball in the warm-up for his Wimbledon first-round match with Janko Tipsarevic, in June 2005, and, in February 2010, he underwent season-ending right hip surgery.

While many would have, quite legitimately, thrown in the towel, Haas’ love for the game has never wavered and he has never stopped trying to make the best of his career. It is the quality he believes to be his greatest strength. “I’ve had to deal with a lot of problems physically,” he acknowledged. “But I keep coming back and showing that I have the game to be dangerous and beat anybody. It’s a privilege to know that I have that.

“That’s been the most challenging thing, sticking with it and staying with it, especially when you’re injured. You don’t know where you’re at after surgery. It’s brutal for a player, especially with the shoulders or the hips. So that’s very challenging and difficult to deal with at times, but it’s not going to stop me from trying, or change my mindset, or change the beauty of me enjoying my life.”

And enjoy life Haas does.Married to actress Sara Foster and father to 14-month-old daughter Valentina, Haas’ focus now is split between his tennis and his young family, whom he took skiing in Montana during the off-season. It is a balance that leaves him in a very contented state of mind.

“You can always look back and see things that you would have done differently,” said the German. “Unfortunately, I had some injuries that were quite severe and you wonder why you were the one getting them. You have to be thankful for what you got and just be positive about it. I do love the game. I always wanted to reach a [Grand Slam] final, maybe win one, but that unfortunately didn’t happen and maybe it will never be. But I’ve had a lot of success. I’m very proud of lots of moments.”

“I don’t think Tommy will have any regrets about how he performed when he was healthy.”

Haas’ philosophy embraces the notion that you are a long time retired, and with the support of his family, his burning desire is to not waste a single moment he has left competing in the upper echelons of world tennis. “I’ve been on the tour now since ‘96, so who knows if this is my last year? I hope not, but if it is I just want to enjoy every single tournament I play,” said Haas. “I have enough time to focus on being healthy once I really say I’m done playing competitive tennis.”

“Tommy’s a special person,” said Bollettieri. “He’s gone through a lot of adversity. What I want to bring out in this story is that he’s a guy who keeps on trying.

“I would say, if Tommy leaves the game, being married now, having a daughter, will offset any negative feelings. Will he say, ‘It’s not fair, that my dad almost got killed. It’s not fair that I was No. 2 in the world and had an injury. It’s not fair…’? Look at Monica Seles…she could have been rolling on. These are the facts of life. I don’t think Tommy will have any regrets about how he performed when he was healthy. He’s a role model.”

One thing is for certain, when Haas does eventually hang up his racquets, it will be with no regrets, and a smile on his face. 

DEUCE Australian Open 2012

Ever since Lleyton Hewitt became the Australian Open’s youngest qualifier in 1997, he has competed with burning desire. DEUCE looks back at his career highs and the fire that drives him as he closes on his 31st birthday.

Some say that he was born with a bit of the mongrel in his blood, while others will swear that pound for pound Lleyton Hewitt just might be one of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen. Throughout his career Hewitt has carved out a reputation of consistently defying the odds. The former World No. 1 has always been special - even from a young age.

“My first impression of Lleyton was when he was 12 years old,” remembers Darren Cahill. “His parents wanted a different set of eyes and rang me up. Then, one day, there was a knock on the door and there was this little kid with his hat turned around backwards, [wearing] long shorts and he had a bag with like eight racquets. I looked at him and said, ‘are you ready to go hit some?’ He walked straight past me through the house and out to the court in the back yard. We must have hit for about three hours and all he wanted to do was play sets.”

“That first breakthrough was unexpected.”

Over the next three years, Hewitt would develop a style that included a fortress like defence that delivered a constant stream of body punches with all the tenacity of some sort of ultimate cage fighter. Hewitt would then go to work on your mind, getting you to start to doubt yourself and make you run so much that pretty soon you are wrung to ribbons. Few players can take the punishment and the less prepared ones begin checking out with Hail Mary slap shots down the line - landing long. About the only difference between Hewitt and a cement backboard is that Hewitt has a heartbeat.
 
“I had been practising with him in the lead up to Adelaide,” recalls Mark Woodforde. “But there was nothing in those hit ups that led me to believe he was ready to win a tour event. Then I played him in the second round and in the third set I injured my leg. I remember thinking after coming off the court that Lleyton Hewitt sort of created that injury by pushing me brutally all over the court and making me do all the work.”

At the Hewitt home in Adelaide, a large poster of Andre Agassi hangs on the wall of young Lleyton’s bedroom. One would have thought that long nights looking up at his hero would have intimidated 15-year-old Hewitt when he came face-to-face with the great Agassi in the 1998 Adelaide semi-finals. There was just one problem for Agassi, Hewitt does not worship idols. “That first breakthrough was unexpected,” says Tony Roche. “To beat Agassi who was already a great player, I think everybody sort of knew he (Hewitt) was something special then.”

As impressive as winning Adelaide was, what impressed Woodforde and Cahill was what followed.

“Even though he had just won a tour event he did not automatically jump up to the Top 100,” recalls Woodforde. “He then spent the next six months or even a bit longer traveling around the tour. He was sort of under Tony Roche’s wings and still with Darren (Cahill). He was in Europe trying to play the tournaments that Pat Rafter and Mark Philippoussiswere playing. And he would be up first thing in the morning just to get a practice court. And there were times when he could not even get into the qualifying draw. So Roche just put him in as a hitting partner for anyone that needed a hit. He would be out there four and five hours a day hitting and warming up guys for their matches. The whole time he was working on his game, developing his base and watching the top players. He was willing to pay his dues. That is when it really hit home to me that he was going to be special.” 

“He is not scared of anyone.”

“A few weeks before he had to defend his title at Adelaide [in 1999] he played a Challenger in his last tournament of the year in Perth,” says Cahill. “The majority of his points were coming off in two weeks time from Adelaide. If he did not do well, he was going to drop to around World No. 300. He was the top seed in Perth and a big target for everyone. There was a lot of pressure, which he handled incredibly well. He won the singles [d. Mark Draper 6-4, 6-4] and the doubles titles. And he made it back to the finals at Adelaide [losing toThomas Enqvist 6-4, 1-6, 2-6]. That is when we knew that he was a big-time player.”

While Agassi may have been Hewitt’s hero, it is his resemblance to another American champion, Jimmy Connors, that draws the most comparisons by tennis experts. And just like Connors, Hewitt’s brash style that featured the near barbaric ‘COME ON’ scream, put people in the love him or hate him category. Especially back home in Australia, where he had to fill the shoes left by Rafter.

“Anytime you get put in the same category as a guy like Jimmy Connors is fantastic,” Hewitt told DEUCE. “I mean obviously he’s one of the greats of our game. He was able to play for so many years at such a competitive level of tennis as well against so many generations and he obviously had a stellar career.”

Says Roche, “Australians sort of have that reputation that they often like to knock their people who are successful. They all have their knockers, but they have more supporters.”

It was Hewitt’s dedication to Davis Cup and willingness to leave blood on the court whenever he represented his country that eventually won over many of his knockers.

“When John Newcombe and myself took over the Davis Cup team,” began Roche, “we started with Lleyton when he was just 15 years old in Sydney. Throughout the years he has given us so many memorable moments - the tie against the United States in Boston (Longwood Country Club, Chestnut Hill, 1999) right after the US Open springs to mind. Lleyton was not even on the team at first and had already flown home to Australia when Philippoussis hurt his knee. We got him [Hewitt] to come back and he played his first Davis Cup match against Todd Martin, who was a very good player at the time, and won.

“Then that match in Spain (Palao Sant Jordi, Barcelona 2000),” continues Roche, “where there were 20,000 screaming Spaniards, who all wanted Lleyton’s blood, and he beat Albert Costa in five sets. Lleyton was sick during that tie and he won that match with just pure guts.”

“He is not scared of anyone,” says former coach Cahill. “You can throw him in the worst environment in the world, against the toughest opponent in the world and he is ready for the challenge. And if there is someone who is going to fight to the very end, who will scratch and claw to the death, Lleyton will be in for that.”

When Hewitt defeated Pete Sampras to win the US Open in 2001, it is safe to say that there were more than a few cold cans of beer toasted in his honour Down Under. “Winning the US Open meant a great deal to Australian tennis,” says Roche. “For John [Newcombe] and myself it was something special.”

“The US Open win was one of, if not, the greatest moment in my tennis career,” confesses Cahill. “I am thankful that I was able to be a part of Lleyton’s team. We had some discussions before the US Openabout his place in the game. He was about six or seven in the world and had made some runs deep in tournaments, but he had not made that breakthrough yet. And going into the US Open, the practice week at New Haven was the best practice week he had ever had. So, to me, the big change was right before the tournament. He had the tough battle with [Andy] Roddick in the quarters, beat [Yevgeny] Kafelnikov comfortably in the semis and went into the final against Pete believing in himself. For me, to watch him accomplish this as a friend, as a coach and sort of a big brother it was just a great moment.”

By now the tennis world had learned a few things about Hewitt. Specifically, that he does not hit heavy, nor does he hit hard. His serve is well placed but it is not considered a weapon by any means. He has an excellent volley, but ventures to the net only after all the hard work has been done. He has a heart the size of a lion and a head as hard as a hammer. And he will voluntarily grind his legs down to the stumps if it means the difference between winning and losing. Now with his appetite whetted and victory constantly in his grasp, Hewitt went on a rampage. “Lleyton Hewitt was incredible at that particular time (2001 and 2002),” claims Rafter. “There was no one that he could not beat in a one off match. And in Davis Cup he was just awesome.”

Hewitt would provide Australia with another great sporting moment by winning Wimbledon in 2002. “I had to handle some pressure being the number one seed going into the tournament,” Hewitt tells DEUCE. “And the way I went about it, especially beating Henman in the semi-finals, in straight sets, in front of his home crowd, and then, obviously, cleaning up Nalbandian in pretty convincing style, I guess, in the final. It was just a dream come true and obviously to handle those nerves and expectations was something I can be proud of.”

“Lleyton gave everything to every challenge in front of him.”

Bernard Tomic, today’s Australian No. 1, remembers, “I was watching hisWimbledon matches on television. To watch Lleyton at that stage when you are up and coming and you want to be like him playing big matches like that one day.”

It has been called one of the greatest points in the history of tennis.Fitting that it would feature two great champions. It illustrated Hewitt, the warrior. Though Roger Federer was comfortably winning the match at the 2005 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - that did not stop Hewitt from fighting till the very end. Roger Rasheed coached Hewitt then.

“Lleyton was not even going to take the court because he was in a world of hurt,” says Rasheed. “He had a bad ingrown toe issue that stopped him for the next four weeks. But he did not want to let the house down as it was packed. He did not even warm up for the match it was that bad.”

It would take Hewitt one first serve, 11 cross-court backhands, seven forehand drives, two drop shots, two lobs, a smash and a lunging forehand volley to win the point. Hell, Federer must have felt like he had been tossed into the Devil’s Punchbowl. And when the point finally ended, both players were feted like bloodstained gladiators with a standing ovation.

“Lleyton gave everything to every challenge in front of him,” says Rasheed. “The greatest quality he had is that when it was a big match or moment, they were the times he was always present and all guns blazing. Lleyton is motivated by the competition and the adrenalin it brings plus more importantly his love for the game of tennis. His mind is wired for high-end competition, which requires a huge belief in yourself and a big appetite for work. We wanted to match his talent with a ruthless work ethic, which, I believe, only a few in that time would have been able to handle.”

Like all great champions, their careers are littered with painful losses. For Hewitt, losing the final of the Australian Open in 2005 to Marat Safin must have been excruciating considering how much he wanted it and how close he got. “After the final he was shattered, as were we all,” claims Rasheed. “He played his heart out and carried a heavy load during the Oz summer. He put it all on the line on and off the court for three months leading in, nothing was missed except the win.”

At the age of 30, ranked No. 180 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, the sun has begun its slow descent on this proud champion’s career. But true to his spirit, Hewitt refuses to quit. He continues to put in the hard yards and lay it all on the line on the tennis court.

“One of the things that sort of frustrates me is when the media asks, ‘why is he still playing? Should he not be retiring?’” says Rafter. “I believe that if Lleyton wants to play even if he is ranked World No. 100, then good on him. That is what he loves to do. He wants to be out there and he wants to keep going.”

“Lleyton is a big-match player,” says Roche. “A proven fighter that gets up off the floor and comes back stronger the next day. The last three years have been so hard for Lleyton. It is so difficult to stop and start and stop again. He still wants it, and he still believes that he can compete with the best players, but he just has to get himself healthy.”
 
If tennis were a game of tug of war you would need to saw off Hewitt’s legs to pull him over the line. With two hip surgeries in the last four years, that is pretty much what has happened. Though Hewitt’s legs might have weakened from the grind, his lion heart remains as strong as ever. And with the Olympic Games just seven months away and being played at Wimbledon, where he has conquered before, one has to wonder ‘what if’ Hewitt’s body can hold up?

“He is an unbelievable student.”

“It’d be great to get a start at the Olympics,” says Hewitt. “Wimbledon is such a special place for me to play anyway. It will be unique playing a different kind of event there. But anytime you play for your country is a fantastic honour, obviously.”

If Lleyton Hewitt can make one more run deep into the draw at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, how great would that ‘COME ON’ sound Down Under then?
 
WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HEWITT

Roger Rasheed: ”I will say that as a sportsman Lleyton is gold. He has only offered the best and given his total commitment to his sport and playing for his country. He was always inspirational to watch and someone that I learnt so much from. He helped in my development as a coach in so many ways.”

Darren Cahill: ”He is an unbelievable student. I am not sure there is anyone better at processing information, executing it on the court and then come back to you and have a discussion with you on what is going to work and what is not going to work and how that interaction will work against different types of players. He knows that if you give him a piece of information that will work against certain players and others it might be useless. He is very good at working out where that information will bring him success against certain players.”

Nathan Healey: ”I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to work with Lleyton and learned plenty over the year and a half with him. This experience helped me to become a better coach. Lleyton was fantastic to work with and he never challenged any of my ideas or concepts. A couple of stories that spring to mind is a battle of pool at his home in Adelaide. He wouldn’t let a game slip, complete focus the whole time. He also organised a 10-pin bowling championship with his close mates, organised a trophy, uniforms and even had special balls made! We have also played many rounds of golf together, and he would again be extremely determined and competitive in every outing.”

Pat Rafter :  ”Determined. Tenacious. Bulldog.” 

by Robert Davis