I'm not retiring, says Hewitt

Updated on: 21 January,2009 10:00 AM IST |
PA Sport |

Lleyton Hewitt crashed out of the 2009 Australian Open in the first round after Chile's Fernando Gonzalez secured a gruelling 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory in Melbourne yesterday.

Lleyton Hewitt sweats it out against Fernando Gonzalez yesterday. The Australian lost 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6.

Hewitt, who came into this year's tournament having only played two warm-up tournaments since undergoing hip surgery after the Beijing Olympics in August, claims he has not just played his last Australian Open.

"I don't think so," he said when asked if his last chance to win his home grand slam had just passed.

"If I was going to retire then I wouldn't have had the (recent hip) surgery done.

"It (the hip problem) wasn't going to affect me in everyday life for the rest of my life. It was something that, if I still wanted to play tennis, then it had to be done."

Good springboard
Hewitt still believes he has what it takes to return to the game's top echelon when he continues his comeback in San Jose and Memphis in a couple of weeks' time.

"I'll look back at this result in a couple of days' time and look at where I could have improved, but I think it's a good springboard for the rest of the year although I still would have liked to have gone a bit further."

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