It Takes Awhile but Hewitt Puts New Ace in Hole

At one point in the fifth set of the final match played Thursday at Wimbledon, the umpire called out, “New balls, please.” That was appropriate for more than one reason.

For one, it was time to change balls. For another, the Assn. of Tennis Professionals’ advertising campaign promises, “New Balls, Please,” referring to a new wave of exciting young players on the men’s tour. And two of them, Lleyton Hewitt and Taylor Dent, were engaged in a thriller.

Hewitt persevered, winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3, in a three-hour, six-minute match that ended minutes before nightfall. Those among the capacity crowd at Center Court, including Americans and Australians competing to see who could provide louder moral support, were so boisterous that Dent said they gave him chills. The feeling among spectators no doubt was mutual.

It was only a second-round match on the tournament’s fourth day, but no one who saw them play would be surprised if someday they meet again on Center Court in a much more important match, perhaps even a final.

Hewitt, the Australian, is only 20 but already has distinguished himself on the men’s tour and entered Wimbledon seeded No. 5. Dent, also 20, of Newport Beach, is ranked 142nd but possesses a bullet serve.

He has long been known by tennis followers--his parents are former players Phil Dent and Betty Ann Grout--but he introduced himself to everyone else Thursday with flashes of brilliance and, when those deserted him, his persistence.

And, oh yeah, a 144-mph serve, the fastest ever at Wimbledon and the second-fastest anywhere in the 10 years that serves have been recorded. Great Britain’s Greg Rusedski had one timed at 149.

It is increasingly apparent there are two men’s tournaments being played here. Andy Roddick, the 18-year-old Nebraskan; Marat Safin, the 21-year-old U.S. Open champion; Hewitt, Dent and a few others from the “New Balls” class have been playing to determine who will emerge as leader of a new breed. Veterans such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter and Tim Henman are focused only on winning Wimbledon.

That doesn’t mean Hewitt can’t win here this year, but even if he or another youngster doesn’t triumph, this might be looked upon some day as the Wimbledon when a generational shift occurred.

Most of Thursday’s matches were routine, partly because showers returned to the All England Club, causing the first--but certainly not the last--rain delays of this year’s tournament.

Early play was interrupted for an hour, causing a 15-minute delay in the start of the first match on Center Court between Agassi and England’s Jamie Delgado. English fans no doubt were hoping for a repeat of the near-miracle Wednesday, when No. 1-seeded Sampras was pushed to five sets by 265th-ranked Barry Cowan, who became a local hero despite his loss.

But if the rain didn’t dampen English enthusiasm, Agassi certainly did with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory. Agassi, seeded No. 2, never gave the 189th-ranked Delgado even the slimmest of openings.

Asked if he were particularly vigilant because of Sampras’ close call, Agassi said, “I’ve got to say that I didn’t need to see Pete struggle out there to have respect for somebody in the second round of Wimbledon. . . . You know, I have an incredible ability to stress myself out against anybody.”

Among other highly seeded men, No. 3 Rafter defeated Slava Dosedel, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. In women’s play, No. 2 Venus Williams beat Daniela Hantuchova, 6-3, 6-2, and No. 3 Lindsay Davenport defeated Alicia Molik, 6-4, 6-2.

It was much like the previous day, with nothing extraordinary happening until the shadows began to fall over the All England Club. Then, just as Sampras and Cowan had wrung out each other and the crowd Wednesday, Hewitt and Dent played a match equally as compelling.

It didn’t start that way. Dent won the first set, 6-1, in 27 minutes. Hewitt appeared as if he needed to start over, and, thanks to Mother Nature, got a chance at 1-1 in the second set when play was interrupted because of rain.

When they returned 40 minutes later, Hewitt was composed. He won the next two sets.

“I think what cost me the match was after the rain delay,” Dent said. “I just, you know, maybe relaxed a little bit. I lost the urgency I had when I went out there.”

If so, he got it back after losing his serve to trail, 6-5, in the fourth set. He saved two match points after falling behind, 40-15, in the next game, rattling Hewitt enough that he double-faulted the game away. Dent was so fired up that he had first serves of 142 and 144 mph in the tiebreaker, which he won, 7-2.

But Hewitt, whose style is reminiscent of John McEnroe’s, was hardly intimidated. No matter the score, he tries to run down every ball, darting about like an Australian sheep dog. He also possesses a superb service return, which he demonstrated by getting his racket on Dent’s 144-mph serve.

“He’s a great counterpuncher,” Dent said.

Dent fell behind early, 3-0, in the fifth set, saved a third match point while serving at 2-5, then finally succumbed, walking off at dusk to a presumably bright future.