Monday, 2 July, 2001, 20:30 GMT 21:30 UK
Escude ends Hewitt's hopes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2001/wimbledon_2001/1419145.stm
Nicolas Escude (Fr) beat Lleyton Hewitt (Aus)
4-6 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4

Australian Lleyton Hewitt became the second shock departure
on day seven of Wimbledon losing out to Nicolas Escude in
five sets.

The Frenchman, seeded 24th, was too good for the fifth seed
Hewitt who failed to keep up the pace when the match went
into a fifth set.

Afterwards, Hewitt said he was not playing well enough to
have progressed any further.

"I have had a glimpse of playing well over the last four
weeks but I would have had to do it for every match for
five sets from now on.

"It's a shame I missed out on the chance to play Agassi
Agassi the quarter-finals - but the way I am playing he
would have killed me."
Hewitt got off to a bad start, allowing Escude to take
a 3-0 lead in the first set.

Though he clawed his way back to take the set, he never
showed the kind of form which brought him victory at Queens.

The 20-year-old always struggled to find his rhythm on
court two and it was no surprise when he was broken once
in each of the next two sets to hand the initiative back
to his opponent.

Hewitt rallied by breaking Escude's serve at 5-4 in the
fourth set with the help of a stunning crosscourt return.

But a fifth set seemed too much for the young Aussie as
Escude capitalised on more unforced errors to race into a
5-1 lead.

Although Hewitt won the next three games in a mini-fightback,
Escude prevailed on his first matchpoint after three hours
27 minutes.

Hewitt denied he'd played too much tennis in the build up to
Wimbledon and said patience was needed in his quest for his
first Grand Slam title.

"I am not necessarily trying to win Grand Slams when you're
18,19 20. My coach is trying to work on my game (for the
future) for when I am 23, going on til 29, 30.

"I am still developing the game. And so far so good. I keep
improving every year and I have gone up in the rankings. My
time will come - I just can't put a finger on when."