Cruz Hewitt through to junior boys’ final after straight-sets win over Thijs Boogaard
London: Cruz Hewitt will challenge for the Wimbledon men’s singles title, almost a quarter of a century after his father won the men’s title on sport’s most hallowed ground.
The little blond boy who followed 2002 All England Club champion Lleyton everywhere during his final days on tour has grown up and suddenly become one of the best young prospects on the planet.
Hewitt scored his most impressive win of the week in the semi-finals against Dutch teenager Thijs Boogaard, who had won a round at his home country’s ATP event just a few weeks earlier and pushed Daniil Medvedev into a final-set tiebreak.
The 6-4 6-4 victory over the No. 11 seed was the 17-year-old’s fourth consecutive victory over seeded opponents and made him the first Australian to reach the Wimbledon men’s final since Alex de Minaur a decade ago.
Hewitt has not dropped a set in his five wins to date.
Luke Saville was the last Australian winner in 2011. De Minaur lost the final in three sets to future top 10 star Denis Shapovalov.
Interest in Hewitt gradually increased throughout the week, from fans and passers-by to colleagues and international media who began writing about him and appearing in post-match press conferences.
But the youngster handled it all with confidence, including overcoming his first major upset on the court on Friday when Boogaard put him 3-1 up in the second set.
Coached by former Davis Cup hero Wayne Arthurs, Hewitt’s biggest weapons (serve and forehand, often combined) are undeniable, but he also moves forward comfortably, volleys well and displays mature shot selection.
The great Andre Agassi considered Lleyton Hewitt one of the sport’s best on-field decision-makers, so he has the perfect role model in that regard.
Hewitt was in good touch from the start on Friday and took advantage of Boogaard’s nervous start to break him in the third game of the match.
That was all the rising star needed to hold off the Dutchman in the opening set, but there was some superb play, including one that won a crosscourt forehand pass from a defensive position that stunned Boogaard at the net.
There was also a big “Come on” thrown in for good measure.
Boogaard is a year older than Hewitt, already has a strong physical build and is around 80 places higher in the men’s rankings, but the Australian was up for the challenge.
Hewitt’s serves were routinely close to 200 km/h, and it is not just the speed but also the accuracy of his serves that makes them so effective. No opponent responded to his serve this week, especially on Wimbledon’s slippery grass courts.
Hewitt made a momentary mistake.
After failing to convert two break points in the previous game and tying the second set at two, Hewitt had a sloppy few minutes, reducing his serve count to 15 with four unforced errors.
But like the rest of the week, Hewitt responded. An aggressive, deep forehand earned him a comeback point in the next game and Boogaard collapsed with a double fault.
Hewitt fell behind twice more on serve, but absorbed the pressure and made his move for four. With Boogaard trailing 15-30, Hewitt hurtled the Dutchman with a massive inside-out forehand, before the Australian struck again but this time it was the winner.
Boogaard hit another forehand on the next point to earn another break, and Hewitt made some tough defense to complete the straight-sets victory.
More to come
Marc McGowan traveled to London with the support of Tennis Australia.
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