Hewitt Humbled at ATP Sydney

Posted on January 13, 2006

Lleyton Hewitt's Australian Open preparation took a hit Thursday at the ATP stop in Sydney where the Aussie former No. 1 was bounced out of the event in the quarterfinals by unheralded Italian Andreas Seppi 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, blowing two match points in the process.

Hewitt lost leads throughout the match, committing a total of 61 unforced errors.

"I really should have finished it off in straight sets," Hewitt said. "I just got too defensive when I got up...I just didn't attack him and put enough pressure on him."

The Aussie, who some have pegged as a "favorite" to challenge Roger Federer at next week's Australian Open, served for the match at 5-4 but failed to convert the two match points, then lost the next four games in a stunning collapse.

"This is one of my greatest days, to beat Hewitt here in Sydney, it's a special thing for me," said Seppi, who had to qualify into the main draw. "He made a lot of mistakes in the match but it was also a great win for me."

Unseeded Thai Paradorn Srichaphan edged Croatian qualifier Ivo Karlovic in two tiebreaks in a rain-delayed second-round match before then handing No. 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko a walkover in the quarterfinals citing a thigh injury.

"I hurting my left quad, since in the Chennai quarterfinals last week," Srichaphan tried to explain in English. "Then I came here, I keep playing. It wasn't that bad in the first round. Doctor said: 'It is not going to be better if you go out there tonight and try too hard -- you know, you maybe need longer recovery.'"

Other quarterfinal winners were No. 8 seed James Blake who came from a set down to defeat qualifier Arnaud Clement 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and unseeded Russian Igor Andreev who outlasted countryman Dmitry Tursunov in three sets.

"I was telling my coach today this is kind of the best I've felt on the court so far this year," Blake said. "It just keeps getting better and better. I had about two and a half weeks before I came down here where I was practicing indoors. It's always a little tricky getting outdoors, especially on Rebound Ace."

In doubles quarterfinal play the top-seeded Bryan brothers beat Damm/Paes in straights, unseeded Austrians Knowle/Melzer saved a match point in a 13-11 match tiebreak win over No. 3 Hanley/Ullyett, and No. 4 Santoro/Zimonjic rolled unseeded Frenchmen Clement/Llodra 6-0, 6-4.

Matching up Friday in the semifinals are (2) Davydenko vs. (8) Blake (American leads career meetings 3-0), Andreev vs. (Q) Seppi (Russian leads 2-0), and in doubles Knowle/Melzer vs. Cermak/Friedl and (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. (4) Santoro/Zimonjic.