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Nailbiter as Hewitt goes down

It stretched on for nearly five hours, but finally Lleyton Hewitt succumbed to the might of Argentina's David Nalbandian.

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Tennis fans were given a marathon session last night as Lleyton Hewitt and Argentinian David Nalbandian battled at the Australian Open centre court.

The match stretched on for nearly five hours, ending just before 1:10am AEDT.

In the end Hewitt was defeated 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 9-7 but the game dragged on unable to split the two tennis stars. No sooner would one hit the front did the other match them. Even at the eleventh hour in the fifth set it appeared that Hewitt could snatch victory.

The see-saw battle saw the game stretch on and on before a pensive crowd until the Argentinian finally triumphed.

Hewitt’s demise leaves Bernard Tomic the last remaining Australian in the men’s singles draw, which is bad news for Seven.

Seven may yet be in for a viewer backlash as viewers outside Sydney and Melbourne were forced to watch the nailbiter on delay. It would have ensured a very late night for sports fans right around the country, but will almost certainly result in bumper ratings for the network today.

Hewitt, whose 2005 Australian Open final is still the highest rated show since OzTAM ratings began, will also commentate for Seven.

30 Responses

  2. He beat Federer only 6 months ago.

    Hardly played after Wimbledon last year.

    Obviously he’ll never be the player he was but who is 14 years after they started? 🙄

    He’ll be in the top 20 by the end of the year.

    And those haters will be too gutless to post.

  5. I went to bed in the 3rd set. It’s Hewitt, so i knew it would go to a 5th set. And well all the fools were saying he would go far in the tournament so i knew he would get beat first round. I love Aussie Kim though.

  7. Well he is 29 doing something I never in a million years could do. Well done to him anyway win or loose, I couldnt stand up for that long let alone play tennis for that long.

  8. This issue gets raised every year and so it should. Why Seven decide to delay coverage of the night sessions to QLD/SA/WA is beyond me. Why can’t they reschedule their news? Or show it live on 7TWO and then resume coverage live on Seven at 7pm? They can easily fix this problem but choose not to. Now don’t get me started on all their “after the tennis” commercials….

  9. I watched a bit of it, but honestly didn’t think it would go so long so stopped just as they went into the fifth set.

    Personally, regardless of Hewitt’s talent or not, as long as there is a good match to be watched, that’s all that matters. By the sounds of it, it was a good one…

    At least he can focus completely on his commentating now hehe

  11. the thing is , in qld they showed an hour womens tenis of which one match was double bagel for 1 of the player. they could have ditched that and put lleytons match on live. no one wants to see a match that is over before it started. but nothing will change, we have to face the facts. 7 love using a year 11 film studies assignment for their production crew to work off, for their sports coverage

  12. Get a grip people. You’re letting your personal feelings for Hewitt’s persona cloud your “assessment” of his sporting prowess. The guy is prob on the downhill side of his best but he is far from being a “hack” (golfing terminology btw).

    Sam, do you even understand the difference between the grades in tennis? I thought not. He is currently ranked 54th in the world and took the 21st-ranked player all the way in a close game that could have gone either way.

    This is what he does for a living. Just because he is unlikely to win a major tournament again, thus allowing you couch potatoes to vicariously bask in his glory, is no reason for him to hang up his racquet yet.

  14. It was a thrilling match, too bad there’s always a winner and a loser, because both players played great tennis and both deserved a victory.

    It’s a shame that QLDers didn’t get to watch it live, thanks to Channel 7 of course.

  15. i was sleeping. 🙂 why watch delayed coverage if i can see the scores online and watch the Tsonga game on foxtel instead? LOL.

    all boycott Channel 7!!

  21. A close match, but 7 schedules always stuff Hewie’s chances as he always has to play the graveyard shift. ‘Fraid his career is in the sunset years, he has little chance of getting back to the top 10. Still don’t blame him for milking it while he can.

  22. I’m glad he’s out as well, he thinks he’s all it but in reality he’s not. At least we don’t have to put up with him shouting c’mon like a 2 year old for the rest of the tournament.

  23. Australian mens tennis has been dead for years, it’s surely about time Lleyton hung up his racquet in these major tournaments so we can finally see the last of Bec’s blank expression in the stands and his mum in the background with a roll of Sorbent at the ready.

  24. Quite Frankly I am delighted he is out, at least now Tennis fans will not have him pushed down our throats 24/7 and we may now see the “now” champions of the game, not has beens. While I’m at it, those ads for Dokic’s match tonight are completely nauseating. Go Sammy and Alicia and Bernie!!

  25. the fact is – year after year of huffing and puffing about how good he is and what a great chance he always is if winning – hewitt is a B grader who has only once gone past the fourth round in 15 attempts at the OZ open……..hack

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