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  • Preview Rotterdam: Hewitt vs. Seppi

    2/20/08 10:46 AM | David Cox
    - A month after thrilling Melbourne crowds with late night classics against Baghdatis and Djokovic, Hewitt is back for a tournament he won in 2004.

    He’ll need something special to repeat that feat this week, the draw hasn’t been particularly kind, landing him a potential blockbuster against Rafael Nadal in rd2.

    He’s 1-1 against the Italian Seppi, both matches being long 3 set grinds. Hewitt won 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 on clay in 2004 and then Seppi caught him cold in Sydney two years later; 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

    Seppi’s currently ranked 42, having made quietly impressive progress in 2007, reaching the Gstaad final and then knocking Baghdatis and Ljubicic out on the way to the Vienna semis. He brings some recent form into this match, winning the strong Bergamo challenger two weeks ago. However, he was outclassed 6-2, 7-5 by a pumped-up Michael Llodra in rd1 of Marseille last week and crashed out in the qualies last time he played in Rotterdam.

    Hewitt will be hoping for a good run here as he has some big points to defend next week having won Las Vegas last year. If he can go into next month’s masters series with some form, he’ll be poised for a big ranking leap having missed most of March and April last year.

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