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The Australian Open debut of son of a gun Cruz Hewitt drew a capacity crowd, a band of Davis Cup stars and some intrigue in tennis circles at Melbourne Park on Sunday but ultimately proved a big lesson for the teenager.
Almost three decades after Hewitt debuted as a 15-year-old in the Australian Open main draw, the former world No.1 was at Melbourne Park to watch his son step out in the juniors on Sunday.
Sporting a shock of blond hair and wearing his cap backwards like his famous dad once did, the 15-year-old has shown significant promise in lower-tier senior tournaments was contesting the boys’ singles as a wildcard this year.
The Hewitt surname carries great weight in Australian tennis and a big crowd crammed into Court 3 to watch the teenager in his clash with the 6th seeded Alexander Razeghi.
The American, who already owns a senior world ranking, ultimately proved too strong in a rain-interrupted match when successful 6-2 6-3 in 1hr and 26min.
The gulf in the score is not necessarily a surprise, for Hewitt’s rival turns 18 in a couple of months and, as a result, is more mature in both his build and the strength he possesses.
During a chat prior to Australia’s run to the decider in the Davis Cup Finals in Spain, Hewitt said he was pleased with his son’s progress while cautioning there was still a long way to go. That is the case. But there is also much to work with for the promising Hewitt.
The young Aussie walked onto the court carrying two racquet bags a few minutes after his rival. He checked his phone, turned it off and zipped it in his bag before grabbing his racquet as two photographers snapped his profile from one metre away.
As the warm-up started, Jordan Thompson exchanged handshakes with former Davis Cup representative Peter Luckaz and Jaymon Crabb, a long-time family friend and coach, in the stands.
Lleyton Hewitt was all business as he sat nearby. A few seats down sat Cruz’s mum Bec Hewitt, a former star of the long-running soap opera Home And Away.
Melbourne Park felt a long way from the beautiful beaches and bright sunshine of Summer Bay, with the city shrouded by clouds and the feel of misty rain clearly evident on the skin.
Cruz Hewitt’s grandparents Glynn, a star in the SANFL who also played a handful of games with Richmond, and Cherilyn also watched on from nearby seats. The latter was wearing a black cap from the former world No.1s ‘C’mon’ range of clothing.
And there was plenty for the family to ‘c’mon’ about in the opening game as the baseliner, who has been practising with world No.10 Alex de Minaur, started in extremely promising fashion.
Pitted against Razeghi, who boasts an ATP Tour ranking of 1237, the young Hewitt fired forehands and secured a service break immediately.
But the older American soon gained the upper hand and was leading 3-1 when rain delayed play around the grounds at Melbourne Park.
The longer the match progressed, the more the American seized control in front of a crowd of 3,000. And the competitiveness and frustration in the young Aussie grew as a result. A couple of close line calls drew looks of disbelief from him.
Hewitt was the aggressor for much of the match, which is reflected in the statistical breakdown. He struck 14 winners, three more than his rival, but was far more errant when finishing with 38 unforced errors compared to the 13 of his rival.
While the Sydney-based baseliner will be disappointed, he displayed many of the attributes of his dad. At no stage did he relinquish the fight, continuing to attack and defend to the end.
The backhand is a well crafted shot. He uses a double-hander to come over the ball but is also more than capable of changing the pace and defending with the single-handed slice.
The forehand is more extreme than his dad’s ever was and a nod towards the changes in the game over the past two decades. It has some similarities to Frances Tiafoe’s style.
As Hewitt matures, he will generate more topspin off that wing that his father managed, but at this stage it appears to be the wing more prone to errors and one that can be attacked.
Also encouraging is the fact Hewitt appears to be more than happy to come forward and looks capable at the net. It is a pointer to the all-round game he is trying to develop. At the end, he exchanged a warm embrace with his opponent and walked off to a round of applause.
A day earlier Jagger Leach, the son of former Australian Open champion and world No.1 Lindsay Davenport, showed significant promise when progressing to the second round. He will play Australian Hayden Jones, the 16th seed who hails from Queensland, on Monday.
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