For those of you who do not know yet, Aussie superstar Lleyton Hewitt is retiring after this year’s Australian Open. He has had a remarkable career that seems to have spanned multiple eras in the professional game. He was the youngest male too ever hold the #1 ranking, and won two Grand Slams, at Wimbledon and the US Open. In honor of his final event as a pro, let’s recap the top 5 matches of his career.
5. 2005 Australian Open 4th Round, Hewitt v Rafael Nadal
At the time little was known around Australia about the young, left-handed Spaniard Rafael Nadal, but this match certainly changed that. Hewitt had come into this tournament in good form and confident he could go all the way. Nadal had been around but had yet to show his best stuff against the big guns.
Nadal pushed Hewitt all the way but the Australian was victorious in a match that saw the arrival of Rafael Nadal in Australia – four years later he would take the title.
In the end though Hewitt went through to the quarter finals 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 7-6, 6-2.
4. 2003 Davis Cup final, Hewitt v Juan Carlos Ferrero
Hewitt had won his first Davis cup appearance four years earlier, but was less than pleased with his performance personally. Coming into the final of the Davis Cup this time round, the final was on grass, in Melbourne, and Lleyton was in good form.
Hewitt started slow before winning the second set to only lose the third. However, as he so often has, he stood up in the fourth set tie-break to win it 7-6(0) and then run away with the match in the final set. Victory to the home crowd favorite, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2.
3. 2008 Australian Open 3rd Round, Hewitt v Marcos Baghdatis
Two warriors with very similar baseline games played each other in one of the most remarkable matches of the decade. The match started at 11:52 pm after Roger Federer had just survived a marathon match against Janko Tipsarevic.
The match featured bruising baseline rallies over 5 long sets, finishing at a ridiculous 4:34 in the morning. Hewitt was the victor over Baghdatis by a score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3.
2. 2005 Australian Open Quarterfinal, Hewitt v Nalbandian
Rod Laver Arena witnessed a brutal mental and physical battle going all five sets.
Nalbandian was gallant fighting back from two sets down and never gave up in the final set, but Hewitt just too good. The Australian prevailed 3-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 10-8.
1. 2003 Davis Cup, Hewitt v Roger Federer
Unquestionably Lleyton Hewitt’s best ever comeback against the greatest of them all. In a match that would determine the result of the tie, Hewitt came back from two sets and a break down and to somehow pull off the unthinkable on Rod Laver Arena. Federer was in fine form in the opening two and a half sets, but the pressure got to him and Hewitt took his opportunities to find himself back in the match with aggressive baseline play.
Despite the two grand slam victories, Hewitt himself rates this match very highly due to the situation he was in and the great man he was playing. It was an incredible victory for Hewitt, one which earned him respect all across the tennis world.
Hewitt defeated Federer 5-7, 2-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-1.
It will be strange not seeing Hewitt anymore on the biggest stages after this year’s Aussie Open. We wish him all the best in his final event, and in all his future endeavors!
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