French Open - 1st Round - Men
| Nationality | Player | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | L Hewitt | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
 | I Karlovic | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Lleyton Hewitt
| Nationality | AUS |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 24/02/1981 |
| Height | 1.8 m |
| Weight | 77 kg |
Ivo Karlovic
| Nationality | CRO |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 28/02/1979 |
| Height | 2.08 m |
| Weight | 104 kg |
Live Comments
14:12 - A really classic Hewitt performance there and he knocks the first seed out of the tournament and will go on to face Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev
6-3 -
And he gets it. HEWITT IS THROUGH TO THE SECOND ROUND COMPLETING A FIVE SET COMEBACK WIN when Karlovic, totally in control of the point after a huge first serve, inexplicably thumps a shoulder-height forehand volley well long of the baseline40-30 - Hewitt puts up an inch perfect lob that lands smack on the baseline. Karlovic does manage to get back for it but his lob lands long in return and the Australian has a first match point ...
5-3 - Hewitt is just one game away from capping a remarkable comeback now as he holds with a service winner to leave Karlovic serving to stay in the match
4-3 - Karlovic is back on track with his serve but it looks as though it will be too late. Still he holds to love with an ace to at least keep some pressure on Hewitt
4-2 - But Hewitt is well on his way now and he holds to maintain his break advantage when Karlovic hits another forehand long. It's either a stunning winner or an error off that flank for the Croat
3-2 - Karlovic does well to hold to deuce, with another ace, and stop the run of games against him
3-1 - Sure enough Hewitt holds to cement the break when Karlovic hits a backhand into the net
2-1 -
HEWITT BREAKS! Karlovic really is starting to breakdown in all areas now as he throws in another poor game to concede his serve. Hewitt is unlikely to let this lead go as he really looks to be gaining in confidence the longer the battle goes on1-1 - Hewitt also holds to love to get off the mark in the fifth set. He has now hit 16 aces. Not bad. But it looks shocking in comparison to Karlovic's 50!
0-1 - Karlovic had treatment during the change of ends at the end of the set although it looked to be more for general heat and exhaustion more than anything else as he then held ice packs to the backs of his legs while Hewitt took a comfort break. Still it didn't seem to do him any harm as he quickly held to love to open the fifth set
6-4 -
HEWITT LEVELS UP! Hewitt holds to 15 when Karlovic's return of serve drops long and not only do we have our first non tie-break set of the match but we are also all-square and headed towards a decisive fifth set. Ah, Grand Slam tennis. Don't you just love it?!5-4 - Karlovic does hold, to love, which shows a decent amount of spirit although Hewitt is still very much in the driving seat and the Croat is shaking his head as he walks back to the chair
5-3 - Hewitt is forced to save a break back point but he does so with a forehand winner before going on to hold with another forehand winner and leave Karlovic serving to stay in the set
4-3 -
HEWITT BREAKS! Just when it looks like we're heading for a breaker again Hewitt pounces on a slack game from Karlovic to break and take the initiative. Karlovic hits long from the net and Hewitt yells one of his trademark "come on"'s much to the delight of the crowd3-3 - Another pair of service holds apeice for the two players. Not much more to say about those two games but that really!
2-2 - Hewitt holds again to level up in this fourth set. He has come back from two sets to love down to win four times before in his career. Can he make it a fifth time?
1-2 - Another couple of aces from Karlovic as he holds once again. As a tennis player, it must be nice to know you'll get so many free points on your serve
1-1 - But Hewitt also holds to get his account of the mark in this set. Do you think anyone would notice if I copied and pasted my comments from either the first of the third sets in for this set? Let's face it, it's highly likely that it's going to follow exactly the same pattern, no?!
0-1 - Karlovic quickly puts the disappointment of losing that third set behind him to hold for the opening game of the fourth
7-6 -
THERE IS THE SET FOR HEWITT! He only needed to one go in the end as Karlovic hits a forehand long. Somehow the Australian is still alive in this clash6-4 -
Hewitt sets up two set point racing into the net before thumping away a forehand volley into the open court ... much to the delight of the crowd2-1 -
Hewitt gets off to a great start and the crowd are beginning to warm up a little as the Australian gets the biggest cheer of the day when he secures the mini-break6-6 -
There's the hold that forces the breaker as Karlovic again produces an ace on game point to hold to love6-5 - Hewitt holds again to at worst end this set on a breaker as Karlovic's forehand goes astray, very long, on return on the final point
5-5 - Karlovic drops the opening point of the game when Hewitt finds his feet with a dipping forehand return of serve, but the Croat quickly recovers and holds to 15. The prospect of a third breaker is now looming. Very heavily!
5-4 - Hewitt does well to hold from 0-30 down but hold he does when Karlovic pulls a cross court forehand well wide and the Croat will have to serve to stay in the set after the change of ends
4-4 - Karlovic, once again, in close on his heels though levelling once again with his 35th ace of the match
4-3 - Hewitt moves in front once again. At least he is in front this set ... but he was in the first set as well and that didn't really help him much in all honesty
3-3 - To prove my point, Karlovic posts another easy service hold with an ace to level up once more
3-2 - Hewitt holds with an ace to keep himself just in front. The trouble for the Australian in that he doesn't really appear to have anything with which to hurt Karlovic against serve
2-2 - Yep, we're definitely on track for a third breaker as Karlovic holds for a second time in this set. The Croat has never got beyond the second round at Roland Garros in six attempts
2-1 - Another service game, another hold. Surprise, surprise! I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict a third tie-break set!
1-1 - Karlovic also holds for his opening service game of the second set
1-0 - Hewitt gets the third set underway with a solid serve of hold in the opening game
6-7 -
Just like the first set though, Karlovic wraps up the set at the second attempt with a stunning forehand passing shot winner. Two sets to love now for the Croat and he has one foot in the second round4-6 -
Hewitt saves the first with a great first serve that Karlovic can only return into the net ...3-6 -
Karlovic has pulled away since the change of ends though and he earns himself three set points when Hewitt's forehand return of serve drops long ...3-3 -
And doing better he is, with the scores level at 3-3 at the change of ends. This match really does continue to be dominated by serve as the first six points of the breaker go pretty much according to plan for both players6-6 - All credit to Hewitt, he manages to post a battling hold of his own to force a second tie-break of the match. His wife Bec Hewitt, who is as ever in the crowds watching her man, looks on nervously and must be hoping Hewitt does better than in the last breaker!
5-6 - Karlovic really has to work hard now to hold and stay in front as Hewitt attempts to make a move. Karlovic doesn't have to save break point but Hewitt does push him to deuce before the Croat can come up with an ace to hold and leave the Australian serving to stay in the set
5-5 - Hewitt holds to love with a great forehand cross-court winner. He was at full stretch there and yet somehow managed to place it right on the line at an acute angle and that was like the Hewitt of old to keep this set alive
4-5 - Comfortable hold for Karlovic to hold and level himself just one game from a two sets to love advantage
4-4 - Hewitt is back on track now with his serve and holds to keep himself in it. He really needs to get this set if he is to stand any chance of getting back into this match, surely? Even with his battling qualities, surely he can't come from two sets down on clay?
3-4 - Another cruisey service game for Karlovic as we rumble towards the business end of this second set
3-3 - Hewitt really has to battle his service holds, saving a couple of break points on the way, but he does so to get things back on level terms
2-3 - Normal service is resumed by Karlovic on ... well, on serve. He holds to get himself back in front in this second set
2-2 -
Very poor from the Australian as he gifts KARLOVIC THE BREAK BACK with a tame forehand approach shot into the net. We're back on serve15-40 - Oh dear, oh dear! Hewitt has handed his opponent immediate break back points and he throws in a sloppy service game ...
2-1 -
But Hewitt grabs the break at the second attempt this time getting his dipping forehand down at the feet of Karlovic, a good tactic against this opponent, and there is nothing the Croat can do to get his feet out of the way. HEWITT HAS THE BREAK!40-30 - Karlovic saves the first with a spot of serve-and-volley-ing. Great work from the Croat there, defying his crazy height to get down really low to a backhand volley
40-15 - Oh, hello! Lleyton Hewitt has two break points as Karlovic throws in a poor service game ...
1-1 - Yep, we're definitely back to the first set pattern as Hewitt also holds to get his second set account underway. The Croat does make the returns and maybe a shot afterwards but once the two get into a rally it's all Hewitt
0-1 - Ah, we're back to this as Karlovic holds with easy to open his second set account. The Croat hit 15 aces in the first set. In six service games, that's an average of over two a game - although it's probably just two a game if you take into account the tie-break and do the maths. Which I won't/can't do!
6-7 -
Good job Karlovic had more than one as he looked very nervy on the first and allowed Hewitt a point (wasteful!) but the Croat quickly wrapped things up at the second attempt when Hewitt hits wide0-6 -
This is a very assured tie-break from Ivo Karlovic as he races out to a 6-0 lead at the change of ends with an ace! He has six match points now ...6-6 - Sure enough we will have a tie-break to settle this first set as Karlovic again holds with an ace, this time to 15.
6-5 - But once again Hewitt battles through the next point before Karlovic hits just wide on an attempted backhand passing shot before wrapping up the game when the Croat hits into the net. Karlovic will have to serve to stay in the set once again
40-Ad - The Australian's battling qualities get him out of trouble as he draws the error on the backhand volley from Karlovic ... but the Croat will have a second chance as he comes up with a stunning forehand return of serve right down at Hewitt's feet
40-Ad - Karlovic earns himself a first break point of the match, drop-shotting Hewitt before playing a simple backhand into the open court ...
5-5 - It's an emphatic way to stay in a set - a love service game capped with an ace - but it is exactly what Karlovic does. Did anyone say tie-break?!
5-4 - Hewitt takes another game wrapping things up with an inch perfect forehand onto the baseline that Karlovic is nowhere near retrieving ... and the Croat will have to serve to stay in this opening set
4-4 - Karlovic holds firm though refusing to bow to any Hewitt pressure, despite losing the first point of the game when the Australian produces a stunning forehand dipping return across court at an acute angle. But we remain on serve as Karlovic recovers to hold to 30
4-3 - A great time to post a love service game for the Australian as this set reaches crunch point. Hewitt really showed his dominance as the two players engaged in a string of baseline rallies the game ending when Karlovic slapped a forehand long
3-3 - Karlovic gets himself out of a spot of bother with another storming ace out wide after Hewitt pushes him to deuce for the first time
3-2 - Hewitt produces his second double fault of the match ... but also his second ace to hold to 30. Very solid from both players so far this morning
2-2 - Another ace from the Croat ... and another game. Easy as that when you're six foot seven apparently!
2-1 - Hewitt has been in good form so far this clay-court season, picking up his first title on any surface in almost two years, when he won in Houston. Although that was on the green clay. He holds again to keep himself just ahead on serve
1-1 - Karlovic, unsurprisingly, races through his opening service game to level up. Hewitt won't get many chances today against the Karlovic serve and he will have to take his opportunities when they are presented - there is no room for error against such a big server
1-0 - A tough opening game for Hewitt as he is pushed to deuce straight off the bat. But he manages to hold to get his side of the scoreboard ticking over
0-0 -
Hewitt to get the match underway after choosing to serve first ...11:05 -
These two players have meet each other three times before with Ivo Karlovic having won all three of them - most memorably in the first round at Wimbledon in 2003 when Lleyton Hewitt was the defending champion11:01 - Coming up in just a few minutes right here former world number one Lleyton Hewitt faces a very tough opening clash against 26th seed Ivo Karlovic
10:59 - Hello and welcome, tennis fans, to Eurosport Yahoo!s LIVE coverage from day one of the French Open
ATP Standing 2009
| Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roger Federer | 10055 |  |
| 2 | Rafael Nadal | 8845 | |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | 7890 | |
| 4 | Andrew Murray | 6640 | |
| 5 | Juan Martin Del Potro | 6060 | |
| 6 | Andy Roddick | 4500 | |
| 7 | Nikolay Davydenko | 4340 | |
| 8 | Fernando Verdasco | 3225 | |
| 9 | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | 2985 | |
| 10 | Robin Soderling | 2935 | |
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Comment 1 - 18 of 18
Oh how I wish Leyton Hewit was coaching Andy Murray
Bec'll give ya one for that comeback mate!!!
yehaaaaaa..hewit..u very good player..goodjob hewitt..
good job hewitt!!
the scoreboard is an idiot hahaha!
of all the d matches previously ivo vs lleyton..lleyton always the big loser...go go go ivo, give lleyton a memorable ace lesson...!
I meant to ask: why are they playing a fourth set?
hewitt..u can win again..........
hewitt..u can win..
Go lleyton !
GO IVO....!....
Eurosport, if the result is as you display it, why are they playing a forth set?
wrong up date on the score board
7-6 7-6 7-6 1-1? Is this a best of seven game? Or are the eurosport guys idiots like usually?
IVO is one of d unseeded tough player so far...more practice on rally and baseline hits IVO u will be on d top rank....go go go!
OMG it's tie-break again !
bubble-bubble toilet trouble
wow another tie-break !
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