Tennis: Hewitt primed for challenge from firebrand

MELBOURNE - Lleyton Hewitt is expecting another opponent to get in his face at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne today.

Hewitt is not tipping anything quite like another spit in his direction but he's certain hot young Spaniard Rafael Nadal won't go away too easily when the two firebrands go head to head for a place in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.

Hewitt outclassed Nadal in a high-quality third-round match at the tournament last year and believes the 18-year-old will be even more dangerous this time around.

The 56th-ranked Nadal was on fire as he dismantled American qualifier Bobby Reynolds for the loss of just five games to reach the last 16 at a grand slam for the first time in his budding career.

"It doesn't get any easier. It's another step up. He's destroyed a guy that he probably should destroy and it's going to be a tough match. He's a worthy opponent," Hewitt said.

"And he's hungry, he really is. He loves going out there, playing big matches. That's something that I really respect in a young guy like him - the way that he handles the situation."

Australia's third seed doesn't place too much emphasis on Nadal's victory over an ailing world No 1 Roger Federer in Miami last year, but he was impressed by the teenager's win over the second-ranked Andy Roddick in the Davis Cup final in Seville last month.

"He didn't take a step back against Roddick at the US Open. He took it to him. Obviously, Andy was too good and too powerful at the time, but he doesn't step back for anyone.

"He's a lot better player than whatever his ranking is, to not be seeded. He's good on all surfaces. He's hungry, he's intense, he's competitive, he's all of that, and he's good for the game."

But Hewitt still believes he should have Nadal's measure. "There's areas of his game which I think I can exploit," the world No 3 said.

Nadal said he wasn't without hope of springing an upset if he could maintain the outstanding form he displayed in the first week of the championships.

"I am playing good. I am in the fourth round. This is my best result in one grand slam. I have confidence with this match," Nadal said,

"If I play very good match and Hewitt doesn't have his best match, I think I have a chance."

In tomorrow's other men's fourth-round matches, Roddick takes on little-known German Philipp Kohlschreiber, sixth seed Guillermo Coria plays ninth seed David Nalbandian in an all-Argentinian affair and 12th-seeded Argentine Guillermo Canas meets Russian 26th seed Nikolay Davydenko.