While their contemporaries were being visited by ghostly apparitions of a cartoon beagle and scalding their keister court-side under conditions best described as strewth, it’s hot as fuckin’ balls in here, both Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic met their demise in first round losses at the Australian Open yesterday.
In a four-hour, five-set first-round loss to Italian 24th seed Andreas Seppi (7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5), Hewitt went down with his characteristic tenacity in his second straight first-round exit at his 18th consecutive Open, despite an impressive lead-up to the tournament boasting victories over Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
“Every grand slam loss is tough. There’s no easy ones,” said Lley Lley post-match.
“Obviously if you come close to winning, even though it’s a first round match, it’s still frustrating.” The real winner of the day, however, was almost certainly Bec Hewitt’s Vitamin D levels:
All is not lost for Hewitt however. He’ll take to Hisense Arena later today, where he’s scheduled to play doubles with Davis Cup captain and erstwhile retiree Pat Rafter as the fourth match slated to start some time after 5pm.
Bernard Tomic also bowed out of his much-anticipated first-round meet with Spanish rig and world número uno Rafael Nadal, citing a groin injury probably sustained at Sin City: The Nightclub. Having dropped the first set 6-4, Tomic advised the umpire he could no longer go on, prompting jeers from a crowd calling for Spanish blood with which to make spicy Morcilla: “It’s tough playing Rafa with two legs, let alone one. Nothing I could do,” he said after the match. I don’t think they quite knew what was wrong with me,” Tomic hoped, somewhat in vain.
via The ABC
Photos: Clive Brunskill via Getty
