Lleyton Hewitt v Novak Djokovic Wimbledon preview
Lleyton Hewitt looked to be in vintage form in his third round match against Gael Monfils, now faces an even tougher opponent in Novak Djokovic in the round of 16.
“It's about surviving the first week, giving yourself a chance,” Hewitt said after his straight sets defeat of the Frenchman. “Gets tougher now. Step up in class again against a top four opponent.”
While Hewitt may be famed for his ability to grind out a five set marathon, he’s yet to find himself in that position at Wimbledon so far this year, where after opening with a four set victory over Maximo Gonzalez, he’s had two routine three set matches so far.
Not so Djokovic, who found himself 2-1 down against Olivier Rochus in his opening match at the All England club, before hitting his straps with straight set victories in the second and third rounds.
Certainly there were questions raised over the third seed’s form after that first round struggle, but he seems to have answered them with decisive victories against Taylor Dent and 29th seed Albert Montanes.
In contrast, the only question being asked about Hewitt’s form since he broke a 15-match losing streak against Roger Federer to win the title at the grass court Gerry Weber Open in Halle to cap an ideal preparation for Wimbledon is: just how good is it?
“I feel good at the moment,” Hewitt said when asked about his form on Friday. “I've had a couple of rough times just with hips... I'm probably more surprised how well I've been able to bounce back from the last couple of surgeries to how I'm moving and feeling physically, able to bounce back day after day at the moment, which is pleasing.”
Indeed, there would have been few observers who, after Hewitt underwent his most recent round of hip surgery in January, would have predicted the 2002 Wimbledon champion would have returned to the All England Club with such as spring in his step this June.
Djokovic though will enter this match having won the last three matches he’s played against Hewitt (for a career record of 3-1 against the 29-year-old) and those victories include two on grass – at the same stage of the tournament at Wimbledon in 2007 and at the Queen’s Club in 2008.
Still, Hewitt has already proved in recent weeks that more imposing records against him than that can be overcome, and against Monfils was moving around the court unhindered, serving well and dominating at the net.
Djokovic though will require Hewitt to lift his game still further, and with the Serb finding his rhythm in his past two matches, this could be the gritty Australian’s first five-set match of the tournament.
The clock is ticking if Hewitt is to once again challenge at the business end of Wimbledon, but Djokovic – with the chance to take some sort of revenge for Australia knocking Serbia out of the World Cup – should make doing so very, very difficult indeed.
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