Hewitt Signals Temporary Truce By Agreeing To Play Cup Tie

The Age

Friday March 3, 2006

RICHARD HINDS

THE feud between Lleyton Hewitt and Tennis Australia over the speed of the courts at the Australian Open and the treatment of the supporter group the Fanatics appeared to ease yesterday after Hewitt announced he would play in next month's Davis Cup tie against Belarus at Kooyong.

But despite an apparent compromise that will significantly boost Australia's chances of reaching the semi-finals and protect Hewitt from the criticism he would have received had he boycotted the tie, it remains uncertain in which direction the olive branch was handed.

Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald continues to insist Hewitt's availability had depended only on his fitness and scheduling. But Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood acknowledged he had been in negotiations with Hewitt's management about several issues including the court-speed complaints that were aired again throughout the Australian Open.

"Lleyton has had issues that he has publicly outlined with the Australian Open and he just wants to win the tournament," said Wood. "He has outlined some issues and we are working through those."

But Wood insisted that Hewitt had not asked for, or been given, any assurances about the court speed at next year's Australian Open in return for playing Davis Cup.

"I'm not talking to Rob (Hewitt's manager Rob Aivatoglou) in those sort of terms," said Wood. "Lleyton has got a point of view there and we've got a point of view about how we deliver our product as a grand slam and the international flavour of the event and the integrity that holds.

"Off the back of that, we just want to support him. He is the greatest Davis Cup player ever. He is renowned worldwide as the fiercest competitor on the circuit and revered by his competitors for that and we just want to support him in his endeavours in his career given the circumstances we have had."

Hewitt phoned Fitzgerald to tell him of his availability not long after he had beaten Czech Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP tournament in Las Vegas. That followed his effort in reaching the final in San Jose the week after he had missed the first-round Davis Cup tie against Switzerland because of an ankle injury.

The fact Hewitt had to decide whether to play against Belarus is a consequence of his new policy of making himself available for Davis Cup on a tie-by-tie basis.

But Fitzgerald insists Hewitt's commitment to national duty cannot be questioned and that he still had pain in the ankle during most of his matches in San Jose.

Nor has Fitzgerald tried to play peacemaker between Tennis Australia and the Hewitt camp. "I understand there are a lot of issues players can have," he said.

"But we have such a personal relationship that we talk about Davis Cup and surfaces and balls (rather than other issues) because it is our prerogative to choose the right surface . . . really it doesn't come up with me and the players, very little."

Hewitt's decision will allow Fitzgerald to hasten his decision about the speed of the Rebound Ace court to be used at Kooyong from April 7-9 - one that could prove difficult.

While Hewitt would prefer a faster, US Open-style court - just as he wants at Melbourne Park - the Belarus pair Max Mirnyi and Vladimir Voltchkov also enjoy some pace on the ball.

© 2006 The Age

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