Hotshot Hewitt hunts big guns
The Australian is one of just two former champions in the men’s singles this year – Roger Federer being the other – and booked himself a place in the last 32 by defeating the man who took Rafael Nadal’s place at the top of the draw.
Hewitt, 28, prevailed 6-3 7-5 7-5 against a player eight years his junior, and claims he can continue to challenge the game’s current top men on grass.
He said: “I think if the draw opens up – and the body feels good – and I can execute that kind of style of tennis over five sets, there’s no reason why I can’t put a bit of pressure on these guys.”
Hewitt is down at 56th in the world rankings but, having won the 2002 Wimbledon title, he is a contender in London.
Andy Murray eased past Ernests Gulbis on Centre Court, the world number three triumphing 6-2 7-5 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes.
Murray faced break points in his first service game but was never troubled again in a dominant serving display.
The 22-year-old made just five unforced errors as he booked a third-round meeting with Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver or Viktor Troicki of Serbia.
For the second round in a row, Andy Roddick dropped a set, beating Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-2.
Meanwhile, in the women’s singles, Svetlana Kuznetsova continued her low-key progress thanks to the “weird” scheduling at the All England Club.
Kuznetsova won the French Open earlier this month, her second grand slam title, and is seeded fifth at Wimbledon to reflect her world ranking.
But the Russian ended up playing her first-round match on Court 14 and her second round on Court Three, while lower-ranked, but arguably more glamorous players such as Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Kirilenko, were on Centre Court.
Fellow Russian and world number one Dinara Safina was also relegated to Court Two on Tuesday and, speaking after her 6-1 6-3 win over Pauline Parmentier yesterday, Kuznetsova said: “It’s fine to put me wherever they want to, they don’t have to put me on Centre Court.
“But with the schedule, this is the weird thing. If you look at the schedule, it’s not about only me. Dinara plays on Court Two, Venus (Williams) plays on Court One and girls who are not very high seeds play Centre.
“I respect them, they’re great players for sure, but this is what’s weird for me. But in Wimbledon you have to expect anything! That’s why it’s special for everybody. That’s why I like it, because it’s unpredictable.”
Kuznetsova’s first-round match was due to be fourth on Court Two on Tuesday, but another men’s match held over from Monday was also put before hers and she was shifted to Court 14 at short notice.
“They put me fourth, after two men’s matches and one women’s, and then added one more men’s match which was at one set all and went to five sets,” she added.
“My coach went to ask if they moved me and they said no. And then somebody comes in the locker room and told me ‘You go on Court 14’. I hadn’t been asked if I wanted to go but I appreciated them putting me anywhere because I was happy to finish that day.”
Defending champion Venus Williams also enjoyed an easy win, the five-time winner needing just an hour and nine minutes to beat Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3 6-2 and will now face Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in the last 32.
Safina was another winner in straight sets, the top seed beating Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay 6-3 7-5, while former world number one Ana Ivanovic defeated Italy’s Sara Errani.
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