Subdued Hewitt in quarters

Lleyton Hewitt, the biggest draw in the ongoing ATP Open at Cricket Club India courts,

Lleyton Hewitt, the biggest draw in the ongoing ATP Open at Cricket Club India courts, finally appeared on the scene on Thursday.

Despite getting good practice during his first round encounter against qualifier Ti Chen of Taipei earlier in the day, Hewitt still failed to put up the kind of aggressive showing he is known for against unseeded Serbian Boris Pashanski. But his struggling form had enough punch to demolish the Serbian at 7-6 2, 6-2 to proceed to the quarter final.

Hewitt is a defensive baseline counter-puncher. He typically likes to stay back near the baseline during a rally and will usually approach the net only to catch a short return or drop shot from his opponent. But the Serbian was equal to the task by returning everything.

Hewitt hit a total of nine aces, five of them came in the first set. Yet, if his Serbian opponent managed to hold serve early, it was only due to Hewitt8217;s reluctance to go to the net and put pressure on his rival. Hewitt, however, managed to break Pashanski in the sixth game to open up a 4-2 lead and then hung on to his next serve to make it 5-2.

The reverses, however, had a positive effect on the Serbian8217;s game as he managed to put pressure on Hewitt and broke back in the ninth game. Pashanski again had Hewitt in all sort of trouble in the 10th game when he had the Aussie down at 0-40 but using his experience, Hewitt managed to save three break points and survive. Later both the players refused to budge, forcing a tie-break which Hewitt won at 7-2.

8220;The rain break seemed to have helped him,8221; reacted Hewitt after the match. 8220;But then I recovered. I8217;m happy that I played well on those points,8221; the Australian added.

The second set was smooth sailing for the world No 21. He broke the Pashanski in the first and the fifth game to take command and then never allowed any liberties to the Serbian, winning at 6-2.

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8220;It was good to play two matches today. It was pretty humid in the afternoon during the first round match which troubled me, but in the evening it was better,8221; said the former world No 1.

Results

Round-2: 2-Lleyton Hewitt Aust b Boris Pasanski Serbia 7-6 2 6-2; 8-Olivier Rochus Bel b Ivan Navarro Spain 3-6 6-3 6-4; 6-Stefan Koubek Aus b Bjoern Phau Ger 4-6 6-3 7-5; Nicolas Kiefer Ger b Lu Yen-Hsun Taiwan 6-3 6-3; 5-Fabrice Santoro Fra b Nicolas Devilder Fra 2-6 6-3 6-2; 4-Jarkko Nieminen Finland b Toshihide Matsui Jap 6-0 6-4.

Round-1: 2-Lleyton Hewitt Aust bt Ti Chen Taipei 6-3, 6-3.