Lleyton Hewitt downs Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the opening round – Australian Open 2012:Tennis Special
A local wild card enterer, Lleyton Hewitt, required four sets to overpower the German rising star, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, at the Australian Open 2012 on Tuesday. He formulated a 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory over the 21-year-old German to advance into the round
of 64 at this first Grand Slam taking place on the hard courts in Melbourne, Australia.
A former world number one, Hewitt, re-ignited his 2003 spark and pounced over the German, ranked 83rd in the South African Airways ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Rankings, in their first meeting. The local super star not only
pleased the crowd but also inched closer to the $2.3 million prize money.
Currently ranked 181st in the ATP rankings, Hewitt confidently entered the Rod Laver Arena and easily pocketed his opening serve in the second game, levelling the scores at 1-1. The Aussie kept swiping in his serves until he drew the first blood
in the ninth game and took lead for the first time in this set. Regardless of losing his serve in the very next game, Hewitt broke the German’s serve again in the eleventh game and eventually clinched the opener with a 7-5 score line.
The 30-year-old local hero kept momentum rolling into the second set and held his opening serve again in the second game. Later he maintained consistency in his game and bagged remaining serves without facing any hindrance. Hewitt converted one out of twelve
break opportunities to his advantage in the fifth game and won the set with a 6-4 score line in 67 minutes.
German youngster, Stebe, re-focused in the third set as he got the desiderated break in the sixth game and sealed the deal by winning six games to three. He held all of his serves without facing any breakpoint and cashed in one out of two break chances.
Hewitt kept his losing ways in the fourth set and lost his serve in the opening game. He faced another blow after losing his serve again in the fifth game and eventually went 5-1 down. However, the veteran made a fitting reply and went on a six games killing
spree. He capitalised on three out of four break opportunities to pocket the set with a 7-5 win.
Overall, the Aussie star clobbered a lower first serve share of 55 percent as compared to the German’s 59 percent but clinched an impressive 54 out of 71 points on it. He also hit fewer winners but committed 33 unforced errors as opposed to Stebe’s 64, which
made the difference.
"It was always going to be tough no matter who I played," said the beaming Aussie after the match. "[Stebe's] is a quality player. Conditions probably suited him out there. You would have seen a lot of the crowd really lifted towards the end of the fourth
set there when I started to get back into that set and they could sense that he was getting a little bit tight trying to close it out and going to a fifth as well. Feelings like that you can't buy. Until you're one of the players out there experiencing it,
it is a massive adrenaline rush."
Next up for Hewitt is a former world number one, Andy Roddick of America. The Aussie might have overpowered the German easily but he needs to lift up his game in order to upset a seeded player. Hewitt spilled 10 unforced errors in the third set which he
lost later on. However, if the Aussie needs to tackle the 15th seeded American, he needs to improve his games and reduce unforced errors he coughs.
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