They’re both 31, both turned pro in 1998 and both are still going strong. In the brutally demanding world of tennis, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt are inspiring symbols of longevity.
Remarkably, the veteran Swiss star and his Australian counterpart are both lining up for their 55th Grand Slam at the Australian Open this week, more than any other current player.
Since they kicked off their careers in 1998, their paths have crossed repeatedly, but injuries have hampered Hewitt’s progress with just two Grand Slam successes to Federer’s 17.
Mutual respect
The Swiss has won 76 ATP Tour titles to Hewitt’s 28, and earned US$57 million more than the Australian in prize money. But the respect between the two, who both now have young families, is mutual.
On the eve of the Australian Open, Federer hailed Hewitt’s resilience and said he had nothing but praise for the Australian, who has dropped down the rankings to 81 but won the Kooyong Classic warm-up tournament on Saturday.
“I am one of the guys who has always believed in Lleyton, even though people were writing him off and being negative and all that stuff... The guy has given everything and more to Australia, to tennis,” he told Australian Associated Press .
“I can’t stand it when they did that to Lleyton. The guy has given everything and more to Australia, to tennis.
“He’s done a lot. So I admire that he’s still playing, that he loves it.
“We’re in a similar situation now with both of us having a family. Rankings are not important for him, but he knows he can hang with the best and he can cause upsets and still win tournaments.
“And as long as he feels that way, I hope he keeps on playing and I hope he stays injury-free for once for an entire year because that then would give him great opportunities more often than not during the year.”
Record run
Hewitt is playing in a record 17th consecutive Australian Open, three more than closest challenger Federer, and is proud to have lasted the distance alongside perhaps the greatest player ever to have graced a tennis court.
“I’ve missed a lot more Slams than Rog, too. I started before him,” he said. “I’ve had a few more injuries than Rog and had to come back from a few surgeries, which is pretty tough.
“But to play 17 Australian Opens in a row, main draw in singles, is something not easy to do. To be fit, I haven’t been 100 per cent for all of them, but in terms of the staying power, being able to play through generations, is something I’ll look back on and be pretty proud of.”
Neither man has any plans to retire, with Federer playing fewer tournaments in 2013, focusing on the majors, to help extend his shelf-life.
“Longevity has always been something that’s been important to me,” he said.
“I’ve planned the season accordingly this year again, that I will not miss the majors because of injury.”
Tenacity
Hewitt, long known for his tenacity and passion, also shows little sign of calling it a day.
Asked if the thought had crossed his mind that this Australian Open could be his last, he replied simply: “No.”
Somdev meets Phau
Somdev Devvarman, who is demanding better playing conditions in Davis Cup from AITA, was drawn against Germany’s Bjorn Phau for his opening match in the men’s singles event of the Australian Open, here.
It will be the first meeting between Somdev, whose ranking has plummeted to 551, and Phau, who is ranked 78.
If Somdev puts up a good show, it will do a world of good to his rankings, which has gone down due to his absence from the circuit following a shoulder surgery.
In the men’s doubles, defending champions Leander Paes and Czech Radek Stepanek are seeded second and they start their title defence against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson and Jonathan Erlich of Israel.
The pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Canadian Daniel Nestor is seeded fifth and will take on Spaniards, Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, in their first round.
Rohan Bopanna and Rajeev Ram are seeded 12th and will meet local pair of Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios first up.
The teams of Bhupathi and Bopanna could meet in the third round if the draw goes as per seedings.
In the women’s doubles, Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands, seeded 10th, have been drawn against the Spanish team of Silvia Soler-Espinosa and Carla Suarez Navarro.
