Lleyton Hewitt's 2014 French Open campaign came to an end on Tuesday, leaving the former world No. 1 to focus on preparing for this summer's grass swing.
Hewitt's ranking has dropped considerably since the days when he was seen as a serious contender for slam title. He's currently the world No. 46 but remains one of the most popular players on the tour, and his fighting spirit makes him a great player to watch at the most prestigious events.
Unfortunately for Hewitt fans, the 33-year-old bowed out in round one at Roland Garros on Tuesday despite winning the first set of his match against Carlos Berlocq. The contest finished 3-6 6-2 6-1 6-4.
Although he refused to be drawn into any discussion about how many years he's got left on the tour, Hewitt told reporters that he's feeling good physically and is looking forward to the tennis to be played over the next month. The 2002 Wimbledon champion also revealed that he expects his best results of 2014 to occur during the grass swing, and that he's got every intention of testing the best at the All-England Club.
'I feel especially at Wimbledon there is not as many guys that have a realistic shot,' he remarked.
'[There aren't many] guys that can go out there and compete against the top guys who possibly can win the tournament. I think I'm one of those guys who can go out there and push those guys.
'If I execute everything, and my ball striking - I'm feeling pretty good about it at the moment. That's one area that, going straight onto the grass gives me a lot of confidence. With Wimbledon coming up that's obviously the next main focus.'
Hewitt also explained that he could take some positives from his defeat against Berlocq. He impressively managed to fire in 56 winners in the clash, which lasted for over three hours. However, it was unforced errors that let him down as he made 53 to Berlocq's 26. Hewitt may also be ruing his missed opportunities, as he was only able to convert two of 13 break points. The Aussie was understandably delighted with his net play though. His sprints to the front of the court won him 38 points, with 75% of his charges proving fruitful.
'I was pretty happy with how I hit the ball,' said Hewitt.
'Returned serve well. My net play was fantastic. I came in on the right balls. Occasionally lost a couple, but I felt like my volleying was really good today.
'It's obviously disappointing right now, but there are positives. My body feels good and I played over three hours and I feel like I could keep playing.'
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