Lleyton Hewitt of Australia. AP FILE PHOTO
NEW YORK – Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 30th time in his career on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win over Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy at the US Open.
The former world number one and 2001 champion, who knocked out sixth seed and 2009 winner Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round, last reached the fourth round in New York in 2006, when he went on to the quarter-finals.
“It’s always great to come back to New York where it all started for me – I won the doubles in 2000 and singles in 2001. I have played some of my best tennis here,” said Hewitt, who claimed victory on a third match point.
“I think the crowd supports me because my personality is the joy of coming out to play. I feel pretty good. I have had three tough matches where I have had to keep bouncing back all the time.”
The 32-year-old world number 66 will face either German 12th seed Tommy Haas or Russia’s 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny for a place in the quarter-finals.
Hewitt has a 6-4 winning record over Haas, although their last meeting was back in 2004, and a 5-1 lead over Youzhny.