Hewitt heaps praise on ?rock?like? coach

Lleyton Hewitt has declared rock-like coach Roger Rasheed the foundation on which to build his Australian Open campaign.
As Hewitt casts his steely eyes on a breakthrough national title at Melbourne Park this month, the 23-year-old credited Rasheed as a major player in his return from world No 19 to the game's top echelon.
Hewitt's decision to split with fellow South Australian Jason Stoltenberg after the 2003 French Open and appoint Rasheed, his former conditioner, as head coach raised eyebrows worldwide.
When their player-coach relationship opened with an inglorious first-round exit from Wimbledon when Hewitt was the world No 1, top seed and defending champion it was the little-known and unproven Rasheed who copped most of the flak.
But Hewitt insists the stinging criticism of his new right-hand man was unfair and undeserved.
"It was obviously tough at the start when people wanted to hop on and stick a few knives into his back and it's been fantastic to see us bounce back well over the last year and a half and just keep the knockers down for a while," Hewitt said as he prepared for his title defence at the Medibank International in Sydney this week.
Hewitt was lavish in his praise of Rasheed, saying the meticulous 35-year-old's work ethic surpassed even that of Stoltenberg and former coach Darren Cahill, who guided the South Australian counter-puncher to his maiden grand slam title and the world No 1 ranking in 2001.
"I've really enjoyed every minute I've spent with Roger. I love his company. He's a great guy, a great guy to have around and he's really been a pleasure to work with," Hewitt said.
"He's worked harder than any other coach that I've ever trained with and I can just see it in his eyes ? every time I go out there to play how much he wants me to do well out there and just succeed."
The former Wimbledon and US Open titleholder said he shared a telepathic understanding with Rasheed, a former touring professional himself.
"I think quite often we both have the same ideas going through our minds when we're out there. You don't have to talk about," Hewitt said.
"When it comes to shot selection that we've spoken about off the court so many times, he knows what I'm thinking quite often when I'm out there on the court.
"We have a great relationship. We speak a lot off the court about what I'm feeling on the court and it's really paid off well."
Hewitt will once again rely on Rasheed and his close-knit family to help galvanise him during his high-pressured bid to end the 29-year foreign domination of the Australian Open.
Rasheed believes, contrary to some opinion, Hewitt's omnipresent parents play an important role in their son's career and did so without overstepping the mark.
"Glynn and Cherilyn, they come along, they watch and they support as a family unit and we do what we're there to do," he said last month.
"I'm there to coach him, he's there as a player to produce a product on the court and we do our business and they're there as a support system.
"A lot of people have talked about that and whether it's good or bad and (that) they do follow the tour around a bit. I think it's a positive.
"It's a lonely existence out there and when Lleyton's playing in countries where the home crowd is against you and going for the other player, if you've got a little entourage that is behind you, you can look up there and know you've got the support when it's getting a little ugly on the court.
"That's what he enjoys and we think it works well."
Hewitt will open his quest for a fourth title in Sydney tomorrow against Slovak Karol Beck and will head to Melbourne next weekend hoping to become the first local to win the Australian Open men's championship since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
Hewitt suffered a straight sets defeat at the hands of American Taylor Dent in a quarterfinal of the Next Generation Hardcourts tennis tournament at Memorial Drive at the weekend.
Dent won 7-6(7-4) 6-3, clinching the victory on serve, after Hewitt saved two match points in the final game.-AAP
Hewitt also gained a break point in a high-class final game, with Dent managing to save it after a brilliant rally.
Dent, the fifth seed, will play Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela, the fourth seed, in a semi final tomorrow.
Belgian Olivier Rochus and Swede Joachim Johansson will meet in the other semifinal.