THE STELLA ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: 2006-06-14

THE STELLA ARTOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 14, 2006

Lleyton Hewitt
LONDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Questions, please.

Question Is that one of those tricky first-round matches on grass?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, it's always -- first match on grass is a totally -- you want to go out there and execute and hit the ball great right from the start. And, you know, suddenly you find yourself in a bit of a dog fight, in an awkward match out there.
You know, every year I think the first match is always one of the toughest on this surface, and changing. I've normally been able to translate from clay to grass as well as anyone, but it's never easy.

Question Here the Brits have said the grass is different this year. Balls aren't coming through the same. I mean, the weather.
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, uhm, it's slower than a fair few years ago, I think, when I first started playing the English season, but it's no different I don't think to the last four or five years that I've been playing here. You know, the balls are a lot bigger, I think, since 2001, 2002 probably. You know, always I remember last year, you know, coming here, my first couple of matches, it was pretty slow conditions as well. You know, I played Malisse I think in the first round, then I played Mirnyi, two totally different players last year, but the conditions were very similar in the first couple of matches.

Question Mark was in here a little while ago saying that he'd received an e-mail from Wimbledon saying he wouldn't be getting a wildcard. Any thoughts on that at all given the way he's played here today and his past record over there?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, well, I haven't really spoken to Mark a whole heap, you know, since we've been here. But, yeah, if he's not getting a wildcard, that's disappointing to him, for him, obviously. Then again, though, if it's the Australian Open, what would we do?
So, you know, you can't, I guess -- he got one last year and, you know, you probably have to look on the side that it's a good opportunity for him to -- he's obviously beaten a couple of good players today, back-to-back wins. So if he can do that in qualifying, then he should be a shoo-in.

Question Lleyton, you were just saying about getting a first match on grass under your belt. How do you think you feel? I mean, what's the next step up for you? What do you have to adjust? Is it just really more footwork?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, well, it's just footwork, rhythm, shot selection, and then you got to execute it right. And, you know, I think a lot of that has just got to do with hitting balls on the surface and feeling confident within yourself.
And, you know, tomorrow against Mirnyi it's gonna be another example, but a totally different match to what I played out there today. And, yeah, it's a good opportunity for me to step it up another gear. I'm gonna have to against him on this surface. And, you know, hopefully I can get through that one.

Question What are the positives you took out of today?
Lleyton Hewitt I got better and better as the match went on, which was a huge positive. Yeah, it's never easy out there, you know. Obviously, he's not a grass court player, but he's obviously done something right. He's got a match under his belt. And he was sort of tricky out there for a lot of the time. You know, it was important to get back straight on him early in the second set, and I was able to do that. And the same in the third set. You know, once I got up that double break, then pretty much I knew I was home.

Question Besides a certain bloke from Switzerland, a lot of people say that Wimbledon this year is wide open.
Lleyton Hewitt (Laughing). Well, how is it wide open?

Question Well, who's going to get there with him. Who, besides you - obviously your record is good on grass - who else do you think are the guys that can contend to get to the final?
Lleyton Hewitt Well, it's hard to say. Obviously, Roddick's got a -- you know, making the last two finals and a semifinal and losing all three to Roger, he's got to be up there on the surface.
Henman, you know, who knows with the draw? If things pan out, he's won and he gets a seed early, a clay court player or something like that, and it opens up for him, then he's got a chance.
Nalbandian, obviously he can play on all surfaces and made the final there.
You know, James Blake's probably another one that has an outside shot.
I'm trying to think.

Question Ljubicic?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, he's a little bit unproven on grass just yet. He's got a game that should suit it well, but I don't know if I'd put him in that category just under Roger just yet. You know, and in Grand Slams, apart from the French Open, you know, Ljubicic is, you know, a bit of a question mark over Grand Slams just yet.

Question Tim is down to 75 in the world this week.
Lleyton Hewitt Well, he's obviously a lot better player than that. I don't think anyone, you know, rates him where his ranking is at the moment, and especially on this surface.
Who knows? Yeah, maybe this is a better year for him coming in as, you know, not seeded and in a different situation.

Question Would he be the one, you talk about a dangerous floater, would he be the one that the big guys will want to avoid in that draw when it comes out?
Lleyton Hewitt He would have to be one of them. There's probably a handful of guys. Safin, 90 in the world. Karlovic is dangerous. There's probably a handful of guys, and Tim's probably at the top of that list.

Question Have you picked up a cold, or is it hayfever?
Lleyton Hewitt No, I've got a little bit of a cold, just getting over it.

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