WIMBLEDON
Date: 2005-06-22

WIMBLEDON

June 22, 2005

Lleyton Hewitt
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND
The Moderator Questions.

Question Were you happy with the way you played?
Lleyton Hewitt Not too bad in patches. You know, for me it's just nice to get through it and into the third round now.

Question What are your thoughts on Justin Gimelstob?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, obviously he's come through quallies and then had especially a good win today against Massu. I know it's not Massu's favorite surface, but he's a tough competitor on any surface. You know, he's hungry out there. He leaves everything out on the court. So Justin obviously had to play extremely well to beat him in a tight four-set match. I look forward to the challenge in the next round.

Question Did you get a chance to catch up with Mark yet about his injury?
Lleyton Hewitt No, I haven't, no.

Question From a Davis Cup point of view, does it encourage you that Mark is getting back to something like his old form?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, it's great to see Mark playing like we all know he can, and that he has for so many years. He had a lot of chances from what I saw and heard out there today against Marat. Marat's a tough player on any surface. He's got so much firepower. Two tiebreaks could have gone either way. Could have been a different story.

Question Personally, physically having had that break, coming in now second round at Wimbledon, are you back A-Okay? Will you even feel fresher for having that time off?
Lleyton Hewitt I don't know about "fresher," but I feel pretty good. I can't complain right at the moment. The body feels good. Obviously, to get a tough four-set match today under my belt, that's just going to hold me in better stead for the longer I go in the tournament. Yeah, you've got to get out of, you know, some tough matches in the first week of all Grand Slams. Today it was nice to get out there. I got off to a good start, you know, had a couple of lapses throughout the second and third set, but I was able to concentrate when I needed to and play the bigger points well.

Question After a long layoff, what do you think the easiest surface is to come back on for a player?
Lleyton Hewitt Probably hard court.

Question Why would that be?
Lleyton Hewitt Well, for most guys, unless you're Argentinian or Spaniard, obviously clay. A lot of guys -- for me, personally, because I grew up on hard court, so movement-wise, ball striking, it gives you a lot of rhythm I think on a hard court. But then again, the clay court specialists, clay is probably the easiest for them to come back purely because they're sliding. For them, that gives them a lot of rhythm, you know, going out there and hitting hundred-ball rallies.

Question During the BBC coverage, the cameras were on your girlfriend and your family. Pat Cash was heard to remark, "I beat she's up the duff." I just wonder if you mind your girlfriend being talked about like that?
Lleyton Hewitt What did he say?

Question Pat Cash was commenting on the game. The camera came across your girlfriend. He remarked, thinking his microphone was off, "I bet she's up the duff." The BBC apologized for that. I wonder if you mind her being talked about like that?
Lleyton Hewitt You know, Pat's -- Pat always comes out with some loose comments now and then. Yeah, I was talking to Pat in the locker room just before. He obviously didn't bring that up (laughter). We're obviously pretty good mates. You know, I've got a lot of respect for him as a person.

Question No offense taken?
Lleyton Hewitt No, not from me.

Question Do you feel like you're trying to restore a bit of lost Aussie sporting pride the way the cricketers started off at all?
Lleyton Hewitt Not really. Is that the only thing you guys have won?

Question Early days.
Lleyton Hewitt Very early days, mate.

Question Are you a cricket fan?
Lleyton Hewitt I think any Australian likes cricket. We love winning.

Question Do you think they'll come back and win the Ashes?
Lleyton Hewitt Got no doubt.

Question No doubt?
Lleyton Hewitt No doubt.

Question How long have you had it over here, the Monaro? Do you get it to take it for burns much?
Lleyton Hewitt No, it's not mine. My coach's fiancee actually has a dealership with Holden. Her father has a dealership with Holden in Adelaide. Roger got the car to drive around for a couple of weeks.

Question Does it turn heads when you're driving it?
Lleyton Hewitt I haven't driven it.

Question Going back a fair way against Gimelstob, but anything -- you were a young bloke when you played him. Can you remember anything of those matches?
Lleyton Hewitt Yeah, his serve's obviously his biggest weapon. He's going to serve-volley a hell of a lot. He plays with a lot of passion out there, as well. He's a guy that's always going to leave everything on the court. I'm going to have to return well and pass well and be very sharp out there. It's not going to be a long rallies against Justin.

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