Lleyton Hewitt, a former world No. 1 in tennis, marked his comeback to the sport after almost six years of retirement by partnering with his 16-year-old son, Cruz, resulting in an impressive win. The father-son duo dominated their opponents, Hayden Jones and Pavle Marinkov, with a swift 6-1, 6-0 victory in just under an hour.
Receiving a wildcard entry into the main draw of the NSW Open, a Challenger tournament held in Sydney, the pair grasped the opportunity with both hands. Hewitt, recognizable with his trademark backward cap, and Cruz managed to fend off all four break points they faced, swiftly advancing to the quarter-finals.
Having last played singles in 2016, Hewitt continued his doubles career until the 2020 Australian Open before officially retiring. However, his performance in the recent match displayed no signs of rustiness as the 44-year-old displayed composure on the court, securing victory with a decisive net winner at the Ken Rosewall Arena.
Post-retirement, Hewitt has been actively involved in tennis as the captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team, while also supporting his son, Cruz, who is carving his own path in the sport. Cruz, a rising talent, has already competed in junior Grand Slam events and is making strides in the Challenger circuit.
Earlier this year, Cruz participated in the Wimbledon boys’ singles tournament, where he faced a minor disagreement with his father, who was present in the stands. Despite a victorious opening match, Cruz succumbed to Oskari Paldanius in the second round with a 6-3, 6-0 scoreline.
Cruz Hewitt, currently ranked 759th globally, expressed frustration towards his father during some tough moments on the court, accusing him of putting on a show for the cameras and not heeding his advice during matches.
Despite encountering challenges, including a recent first-round exit in the men’s Australian Open qualifying, Cruz has been showing progress at the Challenger level. Notably, he clinched his first Challenger-level win in Brisbane by defeating James McCabe before falling to Wu Tung-lin in a competitive three-set match.
Continuing his momentum, Cruz secured another singles victory in Brisbane before exiting in the subsequent round. With a career-high ranking of 759, he triumphed over fellow Australian Omar Jasika and later suffered a close defeat against Matsuoka Hayato before joining forces with his father for a successful run in the doubles event.
Their next challenge awaits as they prepare to compete against another Australian duo, Calum Puttergill and Dane Sweeny, in the upcoming match.
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