Hewitt as No.1 is a long shot: Rafter

August 10, 2007

PAT Rafter doubts whether even the addition of his former mentor Tony Roche can help Lleyton Hewitt back to the world's No. 1 ranking.

When Hewitt linked up with new coach Roche last month, he said his main goals were to reclaim the top spot in men's tennis, which he held from 2001-02, and add to his two grand slam tournament titles.

Two-time US Open champion Rafter yesterday urged world No. 21-ranked Hewitt to heed Roche's advice, but believed changes in technology may have taken the No. 1 ranking out of his friend's reach.

"It would be hard to imagine that Lleyton could get back to No. 1 in the world, but I still think he can have a crack at the top five," Rafter said.

"I could be wrong, Lleyton might totally disagree and Rochey might disagree with me also, but the game has changed.

"The way guys generate the power now, it's not necessarily that guys are bigger and stronger, it's just that the string creates power and spin.

"Lleyton's game is a flat sort of game and now everyone's hitting so heavy and high, it doesn't really have the effect it used to. That's where it's going to be hard for Lleyton. He's done this his whole life, so for him to change at 26 is a very big ask."

Rafter echoed Roche's sentiments that Hewitt needs to spend more time at the net.

"He has to come to the net because he's a very accomplished net player but he doesn't like to come to the net for some reason," Rafter said.

"I'm assuming Rochey's going to say to him he's got to change things up.

"And Lleyton's either going to listen to him, and if he listens, the relationship's going to work, or if he doesn't listen, the relationship's not going to work."

Hewitt will meet Dominik Hrbaty in the third round of the Montreal Masters after ninth seed James Blake was forced to withdraw with an abdominal muscle strain.

It gave Hewitt a free ride into the round of 16, where he will meet Hrbaty for a place in the quarter-finals after the Slovak upset seventh seed Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-4.

With the US Open less than three weeks away, Blake did not want to risk further aggravating his injury.

"It's still painful, it felt even worse this morning than it did last night," Blake said. "If I were to go out there and try, I know I'd cause more harm. I can't afford to do that.

"I need to be careful with the US Open coming up, I don't want to do something that's going to cause some serious damage."

Andy Roddick made a solid start to his Montreal campaign by beating Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in the second round.

Roddick, who won the title in Washington last weekend, trailed 5-3 in the second-set tie-breaker before winning four consecutive points to clinch victory.

Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko battled past Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round while another Russian, 14th seed Mikhail Youzhny, also advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.

There was disappointment for Andy Murray, who lost 6-2, 6-2 to qualifier Fabio Fognini.



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