Hewitt Set for Artois Championships History

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Should Lleyton Hewitt defend his Artois Championships title this year, the Australian would become the first person to win the coveted trophy five times, eclipsing John McEnroe and Boris Becker as the most successful player in the tournament’s history.

The Australian, who captured three consecutive Artois titles between 2000-02, defeated American James Blake in the final 12 months ago to claim his fourth crown at The Queen’s Club, and the former World No. 1 is looking forward to another tilt at the title.

“It would be nice to win it for a fifth time,” Hewitt said on the eve of the Championships. “But that’s a long way away. At the moment I’m trying to focus on getting off to a good start, and I feel like I get better and better as the tournament goes on.”

Hewitt, who reached the fourth round of the French Open in Paris, said he’s happy to get back on the grass. “It’s always nice,” said the former Wimbledon champion. “The courts are always in fantastic condition here and when the sun shines like it has done over these last few days it’s great.”

Seeded No. 6 this year, Hewitt will begin his campaign against either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the Frenchman who combined qualification for the main draw and winning the Challenger tournament in Surbiton, or Denmark’s Kristian Pless. However, all eyes are on a potential third round clash with British favourite Tim Henman, a long-time friend of Hewitt’s and his doubles partner for the week.

“Tim’s a tough player for anyone to play against, especially on these courts and when he’s at home,” said Hewitt. “It’s definitely not worthy of a third round tie.”

Click here to listen to the full interview.

Also Listen: Hewitt interview in Artois Tennis Podcast