P – Lleyton Hewitt began the US hardcourt season with a victory but countrywoman and fellow former US Open champion Samantha Stosur fell at the first hurdle.
Ranked No.65, veteran Hewitt showed his liking for the American hardcourts as he beat Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4 6-4 in the first round of the Atlanta Open.
However, there was no joy for Stosur, the second seed suffering a 6-2 6-4 beating from world No.83 Olga Govortsova of Belarus in her first match at the WTA tournament in Stanford, California.
World No.13 Stosur was playing her first match since losing to eventual finalist Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon.
She’s looking for the sort of form that earned her the 2011 US Open title as the year’s third grand slam looms in New York on August 26.
Hewitt too is fiercely motivated by the US Open even though his maiden grand slam title there came back in 2001.
“I hadn’t hit a lot on hard court. I’ve always found that coming from grass to hard court is difficult,” he said after beating Roger-Vasselin in 88 minutes.
“I feel like I’ve played very well for the most part … I’m preparing for the US Open. When you’ve been No.1 and won slams, the big ones are what motivate you.”