Analysis for Hewitt-Gonzalez (ATP Australian Open)

Head-to-head record 2:3

What a great match the first round draw brings in Melbourne. The biggest Aussie hope will play Chilean Gonzalez in the opening round and we are really curious about this match. Hewitt is known for his competitiveness and wins most of his matches with relentless aggression, fitness, consistent shots, and highly skilled footwork. He is a defensive baseline counterpuncher. He typically likes to stay back towards the baseline during a rally and will usually approach the net only to catch a short reply or drop shot from his opponent. His strength is his return game and he is often described as being among the best returners of serve in the game. Hewitt's tactics typically involve putting difficult service returns in play, consistently chasing down attempted winning shots from his opponent, and waiting for his opponent to make an error. Although he is known primarily as a baseline defender, Hewitt is actually a skilled volleyer and is known for having one of the best overhead smashes in the game. He also has underrated variety in his shots and will occasionally use a drop shot or drop volley to win a point. His signature shot however is the offensive topspin lob, a shot that he executes efficiently off both wings when his opponent approaches the net. However the area which has plagued Hewitt his whole career and has prevented him from achieving further success is his serve. The main problem with Hewitt's serve is that it is very flat and this does not give him much margin for error. However, Hewitt hasn’t had the successful 2008 season. After the Olympics due to the further damage Hewitt's hip sustained at the Olympics, he was left with no option but to pull out of the US open and skip the rest of the season to have hip surgery. 2008 was the first year the Hewitt didn't win a title since 1998. After returning from hip surgery Hewitt played his first matches in 2009 at the Hopman Cup where he showed some solid performances. Also, last week he fell to Nalbandian in a very tight match and he should be well prepared for the first AO match. He will play Gonzalez from Chile. Gonzalez plays as an offensive baseliner. His groundstrokes, especially on the forehand side, are extremely powerful, even amongst his contemporaries. His forehand has incredible spin and pace, which makes his forehand one of the heaviest shots in tennis. His speed and agility allow him to hit winning shots from practically anywhere in the court. However, as offensive baseliners are, he used to be prone to make a huge number of unforced errors and was less consistent. However, the end of the last year was disappointing for Gonzo and he is still not at his best. At the 2008 U.S. Open in September, he lost in the 4th round to Andy Roddick and his further performances are hardly worth mentioning. All together, we expect a tight match for which Hewitt should be better prepared. Home player is the favourite for us and could be taken here.