The Scoop: ROLAND GARROS, DAY 4

Don't get under Hewitt 's skin

By Matthew Cronin
tennisreporters.net

Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc.

FROM ROLAND GARROS – It doesn't take much to get under top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt's skin, but if you're his opponent, you had better not call him out at the weigh-in.

The day before his second round match at Roland Garros against the gritty Aussie, young Russian Nikolay Davydenko said that Hewitt – who has never won a clay court tournament – had no chance to win tennis' most prestigious crown on dirt.

That was all the ammo he needed to survive his own spotty play Thursday when he outlasted Davydenko 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) in a three-and-a-half hour dogfight.

Even though he hit short much of the day and could have used a rocket booster attached to his racket to help him hit a winner, the red-faced Hewitt kept fighting until his opponent folded in the fourth set tiebreaker, squandering a 3-0 lead due to six unforced errors.

"I'd heard about it through a few of my guys," Hewitt said. "I got more chance of winning it than he does. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't hurt me at all. There's only one person I think it can hurt: the person who opened their mouth. I knew he was a good player, but you know, he was going to have to play one of his best matches if he was going to win today."

A MOODY DAY
Hewitt was in foul mood much of the day, slamming his racket to the ground, swearing in frustration and even getting himself a code violation. The 22-year-old from Adelaide is living proof that anger management works, because few athletes are as frequently surly as he is and still manage to consistently walk to the winner's circle.

"I get a little bit heated out there," he said. "That's stuff you look back on and probably feel like you didn't have to say or you regret saying it afterwards. But it's very tough out there in the heat of the moment. I don't think it affects my tennis, though. I feel like I switch on and off. My concentration is pretty good when I'm out on the court."

While Hewitt certainly knows how to lock in, he hasn't exactly wowed the world this year. He did have a brilliant two-week sweep of Scottsdale and Indian Wells, but he's been very human since then, which is why he's only No. 11 in the ATP Champions Race.

Clay is a surface that does not play to strengths, because he cannot counterpunch effectively and is forced to put up a wall-like defensive and wear his foes down. Davydenko committed a whopping 112 unforced errors in the match, while Hewitt committed 72. That's why Hewitt won, not because cracking balls past his opponent. However, Hewitt only managed 10 winners from the baseline during the contest, a frightening statistic should he go up against more accomplished, big-swinging clay courters in the next 10 days.

SLIPPERY IN HOT CONDITIONS
Playing in hot conditions on Philippe Chatrier Court, Hewitt let go of numerous opportunities to close out the Russian including failing to take advantage of being ahead a break in the second set, and when he was broken twice serving for the match in the fourth set when Davydenko wailed two winners.

"I knew I was going to have to hit a lot of balls," Hewitt said. "I felt like at the start I was pretty aggressive, played some of my best tennis. I just lost a little bit of concentration. I felt like I was in control of the match the whole time, but I couldn't quite finish it off. That's got a lot's got to do with him. I felt like he played a lot, lot better when he was down all the time rather than when he was actually in front."

Hewitt had three difficult tussles last year before falling to Guillermo Canas 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 3-6 last year. He is a remarkably consistent player, but his body may not strong enough to survive another 17 hours or so on clay. Hewitt needs to attack the net more to shorten the points or he's going to look like silly putty by the time the money matches roll around.

Few people, save for former Australian Davis Cup coach John Newcombe, Lleyton's private coach, Jason Stoltenberg, and his girlfreind, No. 2 ranked Kim Clijsters, believe that Hewitt can win Roland Garros this year. But the reigning Wimbledon champion loves being placed in he roll of underdog, where he can sneak up behind someone and bite his tennis shoe off.

"I see it as a challenge, that clay's not my best surface and going into a Slam and not being one of the big favorites," he said. "I'm still not the red hot favorite, but I still got a fighting chance."