Hewitt sets sights on Beijing

2008-03-14 07:48

California - Lleyton Hewitt is looking forward to representing Australia at the Beijing Olympics, but says he understands Andy Roddick's decision to skip the Games prior to the US Open.

"At this stage, I am planning on playing," Hewitt said on Thursday as he prepared for the Indian Wells Masters Series. "It's exciting to play in the Olympics and to play for Australia whenever possible."

That said, the 27-year-old Aussie said he understood why US star Roddick has decided to skip the Games, instead choosing to defend his ATP Washington title to better prepare for the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows.

"You can totally understand Andy's reasons," Hewitt said. "I did not play in the Athens Olympics due to the schedule lead-up to the US Open and what I thought was the best preparation for me to have.

"It definitely paid off that year as I won in Washington and also Long Island," added Hewitt, who also reached the US Open final in 2004.

Despite the appeal of the Olympics, Hewitt said that for tennis players the Games couldn't match the gloss of the Grand Slams - the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

'Same surface'

"I think for any tennis player the four majors are what we play for,' he said. "My preparation for all four majors is to work with what I think will be the best preparation for those four tournaments.

"I can totally understand Andy's decision not to play if he thinks his best chance of success is by playing in Washington on the same surface as the US Open."

Hewitt, who won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002, says he arrived at Indian Wells in better physical shape than in 2007, and was looking forward both to the tournament in the California desert and to the Masters Series event in Miami that follows.

"I feel pretty good. You all always have little niggles and injuries and small stuff that you have to play through most of the time. All in all, the body feels pretty good at the moment. These two tournaments I've always enjoyed playing.

"Physically I had a small ankle injury and a back issue coming into here last year which hindered my performance here and I had to pull out of Miami the week after.

"It's just a mater of getting through my first match or two to build confidence and match toughness, and then I definitely can make a run," added Hewitt, who after a first-round bye will face either Luis Horna of Peru or American Sam Querrey.

- AFP