Lleyton Hewitt & Casey Dellacqua to Play For Australia
Exciting news for tennis fans as it has been announced that Australia’s
Number 1 players, Lleyton Hewitt and West Australian Casey
Dellacqua, have accepted invitations to represent Australia at
the 2009 Hyundai Hopman Cup in Perth.
Two time Grand Slam & Davis Cup Champion, former World Number 1 and
Australia’s leading male player for many years, Lleyton Hewitt needs
no introduction. Currently ranked World Number 19 he returns to Perth for
his fourth Hyundai Hopman Cup appearance, where his record is 12 - 3 overall
(6 - 2 in singles and 5 - 1 in mixed, including a Finals appearance in 2003).
In a stellar career he has thrilled tennis fans with his many victories and
courageous comebacks for his 2 Grand Slam singles victories (US Open 2001,
Wimbledon 2002) and a total of 26 ATP singles titles. Hewitt also won the
US Open 2000 doubles title and has earned over $17 million in prizemoney.
About his return Lleyton said:
“It is always a major thrill for me to represent my country and
I look forward to returning to Perth to do so in Hopman Cup 2009. Casey
and I shall be giving it all we can to win the Cup for Australia for the
first time since 1999, so we look forward to the support of the great Western
Australian fans in getting behind us.”
Dellacqua’s profile skyrocketed after a giant killing and heart warming
run to the fourth round at this year’s Australian Open where she defeated
Amelie Mauresmo and Patty Schneider. She has maintained her good form throughout
2008 also reaching the fourth round of Indian Wells, with a victory over
Nicole Vaidisova, to reach a current world ranking of 52 and become the highest
ranked Australian woman. It will be her debut appearance at the Hyundai Hopman
Cup and she had this to say:
"As long as I've been playing tennis I've dreamt of one day playing
in the Hopman Cup. It's the only major tournament in Perth and it will
be an absolute thrill to play in front of my family and friends for Australia."
The Hyundai Hopman Cup is the Official Mixed Championship of the International
Tennis Federation, and is widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious
invitational tournament.
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“I’m really excited to have this ball. My mum took the last one, so I always said I would come back and win another so she could keep it. I’m excited that I had such a great opportunity.”
Serena Williams