Cruz Hewitt is having fun with his time at his second Australian Open! The 16-year-old educated with Jannik Sinner at Rod Laver Enviornment and earned the qualifying wild card. The younger gun fell to Nikoloz Basilashvili and centered on the junior draw.
Cruz kicked off the marketing campaign with a rock-solid 6-3, 6-3 victory over a qualifier MooBeen Kim in an hour and 14 minutes on Courtroom 3. Hewitt mirrored Ben Shelton’s telephone celebration after feeling completely satisfied about his efficiency.
The house favourite served at solely 50%, and nobody may discover that. Hewitt dropped 13 factors in 9 service video games and confronted no break factors. The Aussie grabbed 38% of the return factors and seized three of ten break factors.
He managed the scoreboard and moved excessive very quickly.Â
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Cruz Hewitt will get the higher of Kim Moobeen within the first spherical of the junior singles #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/kwOXa1u0ln
— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) January 18, 2025
They stayed neck and neck within the mid-range exchanges, and Cruz took cost within the shortest and most prolonged one. The Korean missed a recreation level within the first recreation and skilled a break when his forehand landed lengthy.
Kim performed towards three extra break factors within the third recreation, defending them and lowering the deficit. Hewitt produced tremendous holds in video games 4, six and eight. MooBeen served to remain within the set at 3-5 and confronted a set level after a unfastened forehand.
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He denied it however fell on the second after Cruz’s forehand return assault and a compelled error. The house favourite delivered 5 comfy holds within the second set. He mounted the strain on the opposite facet and created three break possibilities within the fourth recreation.
Hewitt missed the primary with a routine error, and Kim defended the second and third with service winners. Cruz left these possibilities behind and served effectively. The Aussie closed the seventh recreation after the rival’s mistake and made a push on the return within the subsequent one.
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The Korean missed a forehand proper after the serve and confronted two break factors. He sprayed a drop shot on the primary and fell 5-3 behind. Hewitt served for the win in recreation 9 and created three match factors with an ace. He seized the primary with a service winner, transferring into the second spherical.
Cruz will face the highest seed Jan Kumstat within the second spherical.
