Hewitt Earns 600th Career Win in Miami as Group of Americans Advances to Round Two

March 21, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Adam Wolfthal

Lleyton Hewitt recorded his 600th match win at the Sony Open Tennis in Miami on Thursday, a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Robin Haase. Hewitt advances in Miami to face world number one Rafael Nadal in the second round. With the win, Hewitt becomes the third active player to hit the 600-win mark, trailing only Roger Federer’s 942 and Rafael Nadal’s 675 career wins.

"Obviously taking on the world number one is not going to be easy, but that’s why I still play the game, to have the opportunity to have a crack at the best players," said Hewitt. Over the course of 10 career matches against Nadal, Hewitt is 4-6, with Nadal having won the pair’s last five meetings.

Bernard Tomic was dismissed in less than a half-hour by Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen, 6-0, 6-1. It was Tomic’s first match since hip surgeries after this year’s Australian Open, and a short one at that lasting just 28 minutes and 20 seconds. Up next for Nieminen is the number 22 seed, Alexandr Dolgopolov

American wild card Ryan Harrison defeated recent Federico Delbonis 6-2, 6-4 Thursday to set up a second round contest with Benjamin Becker. Becker is subbing in Miami for the injured Juan Martin del Potro who withdrew due to a wrist injury.

Qualifier Jack Sock got past Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4 Thursday to set up a second round meeting with the number 12 seed, Canadian Milos Raonic.

Sam Querrey advanced to the second round as well, defeating the Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6(2), 6-3. He will next face 18th seed Nicolas Almagro.

Donald Young defeated Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-2, 6-2 in 68 minutes to set up an all-American second round encounter with John Isner. In three previous meetings, Young is 0-3 against Isner.

Also on Thursday, it was Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin defeating Nicolas Mahut 7-6(8), 7-6(2), while Joao Sousa was a 6-4, 7-6(3) winner over Pablo Carreno Busta.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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