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January 15, 2009

Lleyton Hewitt

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

D. NALBANDIAN/L. Hewitt
7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That looked like another step up for you in difficult conditions out there.
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, it was really tough conditions. I thought Tuesday was gusty out there. It was a lot worse today even.
It's the same for both players, but, yeah, you to try and find a way to hang in a lot points out there. It was tough for both of us to serve. The ball was swirling a lot.
I probably didn't get a high enough first serve percentage in, especially against a good returner like Nalbandian. That put me under a little bit of pressure, you know, especially in windy conditions.

Q. How do you assess your form against David today?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Not too bad. There's a lot of positives, I think, to take out of today. He's a step up, you know, in class to the two other guys that I played this week.
You know, it was a point away from taking the first set there and didn't quite get enough on the return. Just set up a little bit too much for him. He was getting tight in that situation. He obviously served for the first set and wasn't able to do it.
Then I felt like things were starting to turn my way. Yeah, he played a pretty good tiebreak, especially early on in breaker to get in is better position, I guess.

Q. You're pleased that managed to stick in there?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Well, felt like I had a lot opportunities out there, a lot of Love-30s out there. Yeah, he served better than I did, especially on the big points today.
Yeah, in the tiebreak he served well. I didn't really get too many opportunities to get onto his serve. The set point I had in the first set he came up with a big first serve. Yeah, if I could have got my teeth into that point, then right at the time I thought I was starting to get on top a little bit.
So, yeah, it was frustrating that I wasn't able to quite take any chances when they popped up.

Q. Three days in row you're played off the back of Perth, so probably nice to have a break now.
LLEYTON HEWITT: I'll just keep practicing the next couple of days. Yeah, obviously you won't have that intensity of getting ready and preparing for a match.
Yeah, can be a good thing, I guess, going into a major as well. You got to save your energy. Grand Slams are a totally different situation.
Yeah, you got to be ready to play five sets. That's a long time out there to grind out there for five sets as well. In the past I've probably had my best tennis over five sets.

Q. Do you see yourself as now being ready for five sets?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I think so. I'm as ready as I think I thought I'd ever be coming into this situation. Yeah, I never really knew what to expect, especially before the Hopman Cup, going in there after so many months out.
Yeah, this is where it starts, now and the next week.

Q. The draw tomorrow, it's the first time in a real long time you haven't been seeded in a Grand Slam. What are your thoughts about that?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Can't do much about it, can I? Just see what happens. You know, it's in the hands of the gods. You know, just whoever comes up, then I'll be ready on Monday or Tuesday.

Q. What does it tell you about your form when you get so close to beating a bloke that's ranked 11th in the world?
LLEYTON HEWITT: Yeah, I don't think I'm that far away from it. You know, especially, yeah, he's a good player and one of the best players in the world and probably capable of beating nearly anyone on any surface on any given day.
I had chances in both sets out there today. I had breakpoint in the first game of the second set as well. Yeah, it's probably just not having those tough matches against the best players this probably let me down today.

End of FastScripts

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