2011 Australian Open, Lleyton Hewitt begins Australian Open campaign against David Nalbandian
After an unsuccessful final at Auckland last week, David Nalbandian will begin his Australian Open run in Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
Twenty-seventh seed, Nalbandian, opens against former world number one, Lleyton Hewitt, in a rematch of the 2002 Wimbledon final.
Not having competed in any of the season opening triquetrous, Nalbandian kicked off 2011 playing at the Heineken Open at Auckland last week.
Seeded sixth in the event, Nalbandian was the only player at the event to have made it to the finals without dropping a single set.
The number one Argentine enjoyed straight sets victories over Fabio Fognini and Philipp Petzschner to setup a quarterfinal clash with third seed and defending champion John Isner.
Ousting Isner in straight sets, Nalbandian moved ahead to dismiss second seeded Nicolas Almagro in the semis. It was only in the finals that Nalbandian lost his form and lost to world number seven David Ferrer in straight sets.
This was Nalbandian’s first final run in five months after he enjoyed a successful final run at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington last August. This was the Argentine’s only title win and final appearance for the year 2010, since he was plagued by injuries for the most part of early 2010.
Absent from the Australian Open last year, Nalbandian hopes for a maiden title win at the event this year. His career best at the event came in 2006 when he made it to the semi-final of the event before losing to Marcos Baghdatis.
Meeting Hewitt for the sixth time on the courts, Nalbandian trails the career head-to-head 3-2. Their last meeting at the courts had come in 2009 at the Medibank International in Sydney. Nalbandian had defeated the local then in straight sets.
The pair’s most memorable clash came nine years ago when the two met for the 2002 Wimbledon final. Hewitt had prevailed 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 to clinch his only Grand Slam title yet.
The two have also met at the Australian Open before, having played the quarterfinal in 2005. Hewitt had outlasted Nalbandian after five enthralling sets en route to the final.
Former world number one, Hewitt started his 2011 run playing at the 2011 Hopman Cup.
However, his loss to world number three, Novak Djokovic, cost the Aussie a spot in the finals.
The following week, Hewitt competed at the 2011 Kooyong AAMI Classic. Moving past Mikhail Youzhny, Nikolay Davydenko and Gael Monfils with a loss of only one set, Hewitt won the championship at the exhibition event.
Competing at the event for the fifteenth straight time, Hewitt’s career best came in 2005 when he made it all the way to the final though he lost the title to Marat Safin.
Last year he was ousted in the fourth round by eventual champion Roger Federer in straight sets.
A title at the Australian Open is only one of the two Grand Slam titles that still elude Hewitt. The other is a win at Roland Garros.
Former world number one and tennis legend, Pat Cash, is amongst the many “Old Ones”, who think Hewitt will win the first round match.
Talking about it, Cash said, "It's the pick of the first-round matches, really! It should be a quarter-final match, but that's the way it goes. There'll be a lot of 'come-ons' from both sides. That's what we like to see. I'd make Lleyton the favourite, only because he's prepared well and I think he's hitting the ball well and he's determined to do well".
Peter McNamara, Wally Masur and Ken Rosewall also support the local.
Prediction:
Given the home crowd advantage and the statistical advantage in the career head-to-head, Hewitt is truly the favourite to win today.
A former top ten, the Argentine cannot be dismissed easily.
The only thing that can be said for sure is that the match is going to be exciting and enthralling.
Tags: