Lleyton Hewitt will compete in the Australian Open 2012 despite not being fully fit – Tennis Special
Lleyton Hewitt is a fighter and it seems like his life has brought him to another crucial stage where he needs to fight through pain in order to play the next year’s the Australian Open. He is struggling to from a chronic foot injury but still he has shown guts to step up and approve his appearance at the year’s first Grand Slam title that will be played at his home soil in Melbourne, Australia.
It will be the 16th time in a row that former world number one, Hewitt will play the main round match of the Australian Open. Crowd will be backing him up for his courageous move to play through pain but that might be hazardous for his career that is close to an end.
He has enjoyed a remarkable time at the courts with everything a normal player can dream off. But his fans will love to see their tennis ace continue playing tennis and this move can kills his career at a sad note.
Hewitt visited a specialist to show his sore toe that was in worst possible condition. Doctor was amazed to know that this brave heart was still walking, instead practicing for the Grand Slam in this condition. It seems like Hewitt is least concerned about his fitness and doesn’t want to disappoint the local crowd with his non-participation.
Hewitt has been up and down with his game and that aging factor seems to have creep into his game but the courage to play better all the time hasn’t declined at all. He is out of action since September, after playing the Davis Cup tie against Switzerland. He knew he had a dismal season but was fired up to prove his worth, once again in 2012.
In an interview to a local media representative, he said, “This year's been frustrating with the foot injury. The rest of my body feels great, so that's probably even more frustrating. If I was breaking down in a lot of different areas, then you can sort of put up with it. So if I can get over this foot injury, I feel great at the moment in terms of my ball striking. It's as good as it's been in a long time. As long as my foot holds up, I'll keep going."
Hewitt kicked-off the 2012 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season with her team partner, Jarmila Gajdosova, in Perth for the Hopman Cup campaign; winning just one tie against the bleak Chinese team and losing the rest of the two matchups to fall out of the tournament in a disappointing manner. His start to the new season will be followed by his wildcard entries to Apia Sydney International and the Australian Open. It is difficult at the moment to anticipate how the former world number one will perform at the Grand Slam event to keep his legacy alive despite of not being fully fit but the determined Aussie will certainly give his best shot to prove his presence in the professional circuit at the Australian Open in Melbourne this month.
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