US Open 2010: Former US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt exits the tournament
The former world number one Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt was defeated in his opening round match of the United States Open tennis tournament by his French foe Paul-Henri Mathieu in a five-setter clash on Monday. The final match score was 6-3 6-4 5-7 4-6 6-1. Mathieu after his three hours and thirty nine minutes clash on Monday has made his way into the second round of the tournament.
The 29-year-old has previously made it to quarter final round at the Flushing Meadows every season from 2000 to 2006. However, while playing the U.S Open 2010, he battled back from two sets down but was stunned in the decisive set by the former twelfth-ranked Mathieu, who is currently ranked number one hundred and nine in the world.
“I am completely aware of the fact that there are lots of areas in my game where I need to work on and improve. Even when I perform at my very best, even then I try to dig out my flaws from the game,” said the thirty two seeded Hewitt after the match in New York.
Hewitt further stated that his calf injury had affected his preparations for the season’s fourth Grand Slam tournament.
“I didn’t even come here with lots of high expectations as I knew it that I didn’t practice much on the court and didn’t get a chance of hitting the ball on a number of occasions prior to the start of the United States Open tennis tournament as a result of my injury. I still stayed there till the end and tried to give my hundred percent. However I didn’t feel like my ground strokes were good enough to compare it with any of the top-ranked tennis players on the tour,” said Hewitt after his defeat at the Flushing Meadows.
Hewitt, who went through a hip surgery earlier this year during the month of January, looked completely lost when Mathieu captured the first two sets of the match on Monday.
However, the French tennis player shares a history of throwing away triumphing situations as he lost the final rubber in the final of the Davis Cup back in 2002.
The Australian prevented a total of two break points in each of his two service games in a row during the third set of the match.
Mathieu, who’s world rankings has dropped outside the top hundred after a couple of injuries, started to lose control and Hewitt grabbed his opportunity, breaking to capture the third set only to fall 4-2 down during the following set on Monday.
However, Mathieu rallied at the crucial moment of the match and broke on a total of two occasions to lead 4-0 before claiming victory with a third break, when his Australian opponent double-faulted.
“During the start of our today’s clash, he fired some incredible winners. I didn’t feel like I served poorly. However he actually served better than me and that earned him the victory at the Flushing Meadows in the end,” said Hewitt.
In another action on Monday, the two time French Open finalist Robin Soderling also made his way into the second round of the United States Open tennis tournament 2010 after beating a qualifier Andreas Haider-Maurer, who is currently ranked number 214 in the world.
The fifth-seeded Swedish tennis player committed a total of thirteen double-faults, while dismissing Andreas Haider-Maurer in a total of five sets on Monday. The final match score was 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 5-7, 6-4. Haider fired a total of thirty four aces in his yesterday’s clash.
The 23-year-old Haider was playing in his first Grand Slam match and met a top-ten for on the very first occasion in his career on Monday. Soderling in the end, easily won his opening round match and advanced into the next round at the United States Open tennis tournament 2010 in New York.
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