News & Photos
Day 1 - Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v (8) Janko Tipsarevic
Head-to-head
| Good news for Hewitt on this front – the Australian has won three of the pair’s four meetings, the only loss coming in 2007 at Indian Wells. | Tipsarevic may only have beaten Hewitt on one occasion, but the pair hasn’t played since 2009. Since then Tipsarevic has transformed himself from a top 50 player to a top 10 regular. |
Will win if...
| He plays the way he did at Kooyong this past week. Hewitt has shown that he is capable of matching it with big hitters after wins over Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin del Potro. | He blocks out the RLA crowd and serves well. Hewitt was back to his old ways at Kooyong this week, showing why he was once considered one of the best returners in the game. Tipsarevic must serve well if he’s to make it to the second round. |
Heading in...
| A win at Kooyong has provided Hewitt with the perfect preparation. Solid wins over three top 15 players will have the former world No.1’s confidence where it needs to be as he prepares for an opening round battle of attrition against Tipsarevic. | Tipsarevic has already won a title this year – in Chennai. And while early silverware is nice, the fact is Tipsarevic didn’t play anyone inside the top 60 during his week in India. The Serb then retired during his first match at Kooyong with a wrist injury leaving a question mark over whether or not he will be fully fit for Monday night’s match. |
Look out for...
| Hewitt getting fired up. If the match gets tight expect the RLA crowd to get behind their man and Hewitt will respond. Like a conductor leading an orchestra, nobody plays RLA quite like Lleyton. | A dogfight. Both players are renowned chasers and neither will concede an inch. Tipsarevic is still looking for his first Grand Slam title and would love to make his mark in Melbourne. |
Know this stat
| Hewitt made his top 10 debut as a 19-year-old. | Tipsarevic broke into the world’s top 10 aged 27. |
X-factor
| RLA. Hewitt loves this stadium and the fans fill the stands when the former No.1 pays a visit. | A quick start. If Tipsarevic gets away to a fast start and takes the RLA crowd out of the equation then he could be on his way to the second round. |