NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
R. FEDERER/L. Hewitt
4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. What is it that makes him just so terribly difficult to play?
LLEYTON HEWITT: He's so good at dictating play, playing on his terms. You know, it's very hard on his service games to try -- you're sort of trying to hang into his service games. Yeah, you can't really play the style of tennis that you want to play out there. That's the hard thing.
When he is able to play the way he wants to play and dictate terms, he's going to be very tough to beat.
Q. You obviously have a long history with Roger, including three matches here now. When you come into a match like this, how hard is it to let go of what's happened in the past and come in with a clean slate?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's not that hard, really, because, yeah, not a lot to lose out there. Obviously he's got a lot of pressure on him, and every time he steps out here at the moment purely because he's won so many big matches out there and everyone expects him to keep winning.
Yeah, in terms of that, obviously, you know, how capable, how good he can play if he's on, but you've got to try and take those small opportunities when they come. You're going to get some out there but you're not going to get a lot, obviously.
Today at one set all, I had breakpoints to go 3-1 up and breakpoints to go 2-Love up in the third set, and he came up with big serves at the right time. That's why he's No. 1.
Q. How are you playing?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I was pretty happy the way I played today. I'm pretty happy the way that I played the last couple of weeks. Yeah, Wimbledon I played extremely well. Disappointing, because the draw could have been slightly more favorable, I could have gone deeper in tournament.
Q. But you're better than you have been. You're better than you have been in a long time.
LLEYTON HEWITT: I'm more fit. You know, when the body is feeling closer to 100%, then it's easy to go out there and compete.
R. FEDERER/L. Hewitt
4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. What is it that makes him just so terribly difficult to play?
LLEYTON HEWITT: He's so good at dictating play, playing on his terms. You know, it's very hard on his service games to try -- you're sort of trying to hang into his service games. Yeah, you can't really play the style of tennis that you want to play out there. That's the hard thing.
When he is able to play the way he wants to play and dictate terms, he's going to be very tough to beat.
Q. You obviously have a long history with Roger, including three matches here now. When you come into a match like this, how hard is it to let go of what's happened in the past and come in with a clean slate?
LLEYTON HEWITT: It's not that hard, really, because, yeah, not a lot to lose out there. Obviously he's got a lot of pressure on him, and every time he steps out here at the moment purely because he's won so many big matches out there and everyone expects him to keep winning.
Yeah, in terms of that, obviously, you know, how capable, how good he can play if he's on, but you've got to try and take those small opportunities when they come. You're going to get some out there but you're not going to get a lot, obviously.
Today at one set all, I had breakpoints to go 3-1 up and breakpoints to go 2-Love up in the third set, and he came up with big serves at the right time. That's why he's No. 1.
Q. How are you playing?
LLEYTON HEWITT: I was pretty happy the way I played today. I'm pretty happy the way that I played the last couple of weeks. Yeah, Wimbledon I played extremely well. Disappointing, because the draw could have been slightly more favorable, I could have gone deeper in tournament.
Q. But you're better than you have been. You're better than you have been in a long time.
LLEYTON HEWITT: I'm more fit. You know, when the body is feeling closer to 100%, then it's easy to go out there and compete.
