Warrior Lleyton Hewitt has laid down the challenge to his Australian Open first-round opponent Janko Tipsarevic, saying all the pressure is on the world No.9.
The 31-year-old, set for his 17th Melbourne Park tilt, will open his tournament against the hard-working Serbian.
Tipsarevic started the year with a win at the Chennai Open last week but is under an injury cloud after withdrawing from the Kooyong Classic warm-up event with a wrist problem.
Hewitt, who is playing in the final of that tournament on Saturday against Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, said he would have preferred an easier first-up opponent but thought Tipsarevic was probably feeling the same way.
“I’m extremely happy with the way I’m hitting the ball at the moment and a lot of the pressure is on him as the (number nine) player in the world at the moment,” Hewitt said on Friday.
“It’s going to be a tough match.”
Former world No.1 Hewitt will have a great opportunity to make a deep run if he can overcome Tipsarevic, who has never been further than the third round in Melbourne.
The 2005 runner-up would play Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller or Slovak Lukas Lacko in the second round, with Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer the highest-ranked rival in his quarter.
Novak Djokovic, defending champion and Tipsarevic’s Serbian Davis Cup teammate, believed Hewitt was a tougher prospect than his world ranking of No.82 indicated.
No longer dogged by foot pain that restricted his trademark speed around the court for the past two years, Hewitt looks to have turned back the clock.
“He’s definitely somebody you always have to think of when you’re playing in Australia,” Djokovic said on Friday.
“He’s a great competitor and somebody I have a lot of respect for.
“I played a long four-set match against him in the fourth round (last year) when everybody thought he was not able to perform any more at his best at the top level.
“I think he’s one of the greatest competitors ever to play the game.
“That’s why nobody can underestimate him, especially playing in front of his crowd, on his court.”
Former Wimbledon champion and Australian great Pat Cash said Hewitt had the opportunity to play week-two tennis if he could get past Tipsarevic, who he believed wouldn’t be thrilled with facing Hewitt.
“It’s an absolute possibility as we know how hard Lleyton fights,” Cash said.
“It’s about how he recovers and bounces back from that.
“If he wins, that’s the benefit of beating a seed. You take that position and you can move through.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get up but it isn’t going to be easy.”
