Hewitt legacy in Cruz control

AS Lleyton Hewitt bowed out of the first Grand Slam he ever won, one fan was more enamoured with the tennis hero than all the rest.

Hewitt’s six-year-old son Cruz sat, transfixed, for the three-hour, 28-minute marathon match at Flushing Meadows yesterday.

It had been 14 years since the boy with the backwards hat and the oversized shirt claimed victory at Flushing Meadows as a 20-year-old with attitude. And it’s a path Hewitt might just see for his son.

“He loves his tennis,” he said last night as his son sat on watching his press conference. “He gets along with Bernie too. I’m very proud that he could sit through five sets. Hopefully some of this rubs off and he wants to be out here some day.”

The whole Hewitt gang was there last night as he said goodbye to the New York singles tournament ahead of his retirement next year. His parents, wife, son, former coach, current coach, packed the stands urging him every step of the way.

World champion Roger Federer heaped praise on Hewitt after the match, saying he’d changed the game of tennis.

“For me, he was a big challenge in my career,” Federer said.

“He showed me how it’s done. I thought he changed the game to some extent. I think he … was the player which just wouldn’t miss – best counter punch we’d ever seen at that point.”

Reflecting on his match, Hewitt said he wished he’d been able to enjoy it more.