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So. <a href=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/4143311.stm”>Lleyton Hewitt wants the courts in Melbourne to be quicker</a> to help his chances of winning the Aussie Open. Perhaps he should have a chat with Tim Henman. The surface at Wimbledon in 2002 when Hewitt won was ridiculously slow for grass. Henman has for years hoped for a quicker surface to suit his volley-game, but though he might be seething in private, he has publicly always been pretty gracious about the conditions.<br /><br />Hewitt, however, feels he is owed a bit more. Here is his quote: “I thought I may have had a bit of pull after being number one in the world for two years and winning a couple of slams, but obviously not that much. I’m baffled by the whole thing. I really am and I’ve had a gut full of it to tell you the truth.” <br /><br />What? “Baffled”? “Gut full”? I don’t remember this being a running issue for Lleyton. I find it baffling myself for several reasons. 1) Pete Sampras, hardly a slow-court specialist, did fine at Australia, winning twice. And Federer won last year. Can’t be that slow. 2) Courts aren’t the only issue in tennis. The heavier balls also affect things, as they create wrist injuries, slow down the play and have a greater impact on the speed of the game. 3) Why can’t Lleyton succeed on a slower surface? He has speed, perseverance, solid ground strokes, a baseline game, and an iron will. Sounds like a slow-court player to me.<br /><br />If every tournament tried to adjust the surface just for their home players, it would be a great shame. Many players have an advantage at home as it is with support, familiarity with the surface, and a likelihood of getting the main show courts. The event organisers can’t be worried about the surface for just one player – they have 128 to think of. Lleyton has a mental block at the Aussie Open about his failures there and the resulting hard time from the Aussie media. He should get over it.<br />