Sydney, Sept 25: Australia's Davis Cup hero Lleyton Hewitt is returning to the Sydney International tournament to improve his chances of becoming the first home player to win the Australian Open in 28 years.
The former world number one was among a high-class field announced here on Wednesday for the January 11-17 mixed Sydney International tournament a week before the first tennis grand slam of 2004 in Melbourne.
In what is shaping as an encore to the November 28-30 Davis Cup final in Melbourne, Spaniards Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya will do battle with Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis in a strong 32-man draw.
Hewitt, a former two-time champion, skipped Sydney last year in a bid for a lower-key preparation for the Australian Open.

The Hopman Cup in Perth over the new year period was his only appearance during the two months between his Shanghai Masters Cup triumph in November and the open in mid-January.



As top seed, Hewitt reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park this year but has never progressed beyond the last 16 at his home grand slam.



The 22-year-old is trying to become the first Australian since Mark Edmondson in 1976 to win the national title. Hewitt is a two-time former Sydney International champion and boasts a 15-2 win-loss record at homebush.



"It's a fantastic event and it's nice to be coming back in 2004," Hewitt said via a television link on Wednesday. "I won in 2000 and 2001. I've played some of my best tennis on the Homebush Centre Court at the Olympic site. It's a great arena, i look forward to coming back to Sydney."


Bureau Report