Hewitt, Groth into Newport quarters
Lleyton Hewitt and fellow Australian Sam Groth have advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP grasscourt tournament in Newport, Rhode Island.
Newport, RI, USA, 10 July 2014 | AAP/PA
Lleyton Hewitt and fellow Australian Sam Groth have advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP grasscourt tournament in Newport, Rhode Island.
Third seed Hewitt cruised to a 6-2 6-2 win over Ante Pavic, while big-serving Groth blasted 24 aces in his 7-6(7) 7-6(3) victory over Malek Jaziri.
The news wasn’t so good for Australia’s Luke Saville, who lost 6-4 6-2 to Nicolas Mahut.
Defending champion Mahut will take on Groth in the quarters, while Hewitt, who has lost in the final of the Hall Of Fame Tennis Championships the past two years, set up a clash with sixth seed Steve Johnson, who led 6-3 2-0 when his opponent Tatsuma Ito retired.
“I was adjusted and ready for how the courts were playing today,” Hewitt said.
“I went out there with really good tactics and played them really well.”
Top seed John Isner eased into the quarters with a routine victory over Austin Krajicek.
The big-hitting American won the tournament in 2011 and 2012 and had no trouble in defeating his countryman 6-3 6-3 to set up a clash with another American, Jack Sock.
The other quarterfinal will see Dudi Sela, a 6-3 6-1 winner over Adrian Mannarino, take on Ivo Karlovic, who beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-5 7-6(3).