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NEW YORK - Lleyton Hewitt extended his impressive summer form with a straight sets demolition of Amer Delic in first-round action at the US Open tennis championships today.
The former world No 1 needed just 97 minutes to eliminate the American 6-2 6-4 6-2 and set up a
second-round match against either Argentine Agustin Calleri or Andreas Seppi, of Italy.
"Delic is the kind of guy, you give him the half opportunity he's going to take it, come to the net, put pressure on you," said Hewitt, the 2001 Open champion.
"He doesn't have the best passing shots out there. So it was a matter of me mixing it up when I had the opportunity, come in on his backhand, make him press."
There were no major upsets under sunny skies at the National Tennis Centre in Flushing Meadows.
Fourth seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 title winner, whipped Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-2 6-3 while 1997 champion Martina Hingis, seeded 16th, beat Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson 6-0 6-3.
Other winners included 11th seed Patty Schnyder, 13th seed Nicole Vaidisova and No 26 Sania Mirza. In a mild upset, Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova upended No 23 Tathiana Garbin, of Italy, 6-4 6-3.
Delic said the 26-year-old Hewitt might be overlooked as an Open contender because of the Grand Slam success of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
"I think he gets lost in the shadow behind guys like Roger and Nadal right now because obviously they're the big hype," said the American, ranked 71st.
"But every time he steps on the court you just can't take him as an underdog.
"The guy does not give you absolutely anything. I've never played him before. He was always one of those guys that you look at in the draw, and say, `god, I really don't want to be out there with him playing three out of five'. It kind of showed today."
Hewitt agreed with Delic, saying it has been tough to grab the spotlight with Federer and Nadal around.
"They've been the two dominant players in the Slams over the last four or five years," said Hewitt, who reached the quarterfinals and semifinals in successive Masters Series events this month.
"No one really has had a chance to win any of the other Slams basically. That's what my goal is. That's what you keep striving towards, working for. Hopefully it will be around the corner."
Hingis committed only eight unforced errors in her one-hour victory over Johansson.
The 26-year-old Swiss was at her best at the right times, converting all four break opportunities.
The five-time Grand Slam champion said the two weeks she took off prior to the Open helped her "get the hunger and get the spirit back".
Hingis, ranked 17th, said she did not want to dwell on the days when she was the best player in the world.
"I tried to bring my best today, not think about what has happened," she said.
"I know that nobody can take that away from me. You have to keep evolving and keep trying to get better."
- REUTERS