Lleyton Hewitt rolled back the years to cause first major men's upset at Wimbledon today when the former champion knocked out fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro on Centre Court in straight sets.
The 2002 champ, the last winner before the onset of the Federer and Nadal era, rekindled memories of his fist-pumping heyday as he tamed the Argentine's huge serve and emerged triumphant 6-3 7-5 7-5 in just over two and a half hours.
The Aussie sank to his knees in emotion afterwards as the magnitude of beating a top five player for the first time in a dozen attempts sank in. "I hadn't beaten one of the world's best for a long time and I was really up for this match," he enthused.
Cheered on by a small but vociferous group of his yellow-shirted compatriots who had camped out overnight for tickets, the only Australian in the men's draw as usual did not let down his country as he produced a performance of single-minded determination and commitment to outplay one of the brightest young talents in the world game.
Hewitt was supposed to be in irreversible decline after suffering chronic hip problems which required surgery last August. He slipped down below 100 in the world rankings after initially making his comeback but, having regained some fitness and a semblance of his old battling best form, he has clawed it back to number 56.
Still, though, the giant Del Potro would have been expected to carry far too much firepower but there was a huge gulf in the quality of their movement and on-court coverage as Hewitt manoeuvred his gangling opponent beautifully around the court from the start
Hewitt has almost become the Andy Murray of Australian tennis, their only world-class performer ranked in the men's top 140. Others may have thought of him as a fading force but, after winning his first tournament for a couple of years in Houston in April, the Australian fancied he was undergoing a renaissance.
His country needed him; historians there could not remember a previous tournament in the Open era with just one Aussie man on duty in the singles.
Only last week at Hurlingham, he had given Rafa Nadal such a runaround in an exhibition match that it helped hasten the Spaniard's decision to pull out of Wimbledon.
Del Potro, as fifth seed, had taken Nadal's place at the top of the draw and had opened impressively in the first round with a 6-3 6-1 6-2 trouncing of the experienced Arnaud Clement.
But Hewitt immediately looked a more formidable proposition, saving four break points at 2-2 and then earning a break point of his own at 3-2 when Del Potro, much to his own embarrassment, misjudged a Hewitt groundstroke and watched it plop on the line.
He must have known it was in but for some reason known only to himself, Del Potro, immediately christened "Del Boy" by the Centre Court patrons, decided on a fruitless challenge to Hawkeye. Still out of sorts, he then plonked an easy forehand into the net to give Hewitt the crucial break before he took the set in 45 minutes.
The second set went with serve, with not a break point in sight until Del Potro lost his nerve, serving a double and netting two weak forehands at 5-5. Hewitt found difficulty in serving it out, Del Potro saving one set point before the Australian finally earned a second opportunity and gleefully put away a simple smash.
A double fault at the start of the third set which gave Hewitt an immediate break seemed to indicate the 20-year-old's spirit had been broken but, when serving for the match at 5-4, Hewitt played a nervy game, with Del Potro finally converting a break point at the eighth attempt.
Hewitt, though, again demonstrated the depth of his character, breaking back immediately and, after squandering one match point with a double fault, he made no mistake on the second.
"I played really well; I had a great game plan and I executed it perfectly. When I got broken serving for the match, I had to put it behind me straight away and it wasn't easy," said Hewitt. "But I'm bloody glad I did!"
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