Australian Teenager Lleyton Hewitt re-lived memories of his famous victory in the Australian men's hardcourt championship last year when he beat seventh seed Nicolas Kiefer in the first round in Adelaide yesterday.
Hewitt beat the German 7-5, 6-4 to spark new celebrations at the stadium where he won the title last year at the tender age of 16.
Last year, while still an amateur, Hewitt beat Andre Agassi and a string of other top players on the way to take the hardcourt title even before he had become a full-time professional.
Hewitt was ranked 550 in the world then and is still just outside the top 100 but is determined to make 1999 the year when he gets established on the international circuit.
Sweden's Thomas Enqvist overcame a first-set wipeout to beat Australian Mark Woodforde in another first-round match.
Two-time tournament champion Woodforde breezed through the first
set but Enqvist tightened his game and got his thumping first serve going to take the match, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4.
"It was my first match for a while. I was really excited to be back playing but I felt a little nervous," Enqvist said.
Enqvist said he was looking to recapture his form from the first half of last year after spending three months in the second half of 1998 off the circuit with a foot injury.
Brazilian third seed Gustavo Kuerten defeated Frenchman Jerome Golmard 7-5, 6-1.
The former French Open champion broke Golmard's serve to take the tight first set then won five straight games to take the set with a sizzling display of aces.
Australian Michael Tebbutt made it through to the second round by beating Canadian Sebastian Lareau 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 and his countryman Scott Draper fought back to win through by beating American Justin Gimelstob 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.
First round (x denotes seed): G Kuerten (Bra x3) bt J Golmard (Fra) 7-5, 6-1; M Tebbutt (Aus) bt S Lareau (Can) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; S Draper (Aus) bt J Gimelstob (USA) 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3; J Stoltenberg (Aus x4) bt A Di Pasquale (Fra) 6-1, 6-4; D Hrbaty (Slo) bt M Puerta (x8 Arg) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5; T Enqvist (Swe x2) bt M Woodforde (Aus), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4; L Hewitt (Aus) bt N Kiefer (x7 Ger) 7-5, 6-4.
Top seed Tim Henman made a winning start to 1999 with a first-round win in the Qatar Open over Sjeng Schalken in Doha yesterday. The British number one had a couple of nervous moments early on but saved two break points in the third game and then cruised past the Dutchman 6-2 6-3. Henman, who now faces Younes El Aynaoui, will face Greg Rusedski if both Britons win through to the final.
