Hewett beat Japan’s world No. 9 and 2014 finalist Takuya Miki 6-3, 6-4 at the Sydney International Open, the sport’s first Super Series event of the year, to set up a second round contest with his doubles partner and fellow Brit Gordon Reid. The winner of that match will advance to the quarter-finals.
Hewett’s win over Miki follows up his victory over French world No. 7 Nicolas Peifer in France last October and comes after the world No. 1 junior posted two promising results over Japanese players at the end of last week as he started his 2015 season at the Queensland Open.
Norfolk’s British men’s No. 4 beat former world No. 3 Satoshi Saida 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in his first match of the new season to reach the last eight in Brisbane before taking Miki and Saida’s world No. 8 ranked countryman Takashi Sanada to three sets.
“I’m really happy with the way I played and very happy with my start to the season,” said Hewett. “I’m delighted to get some solid results against a series of former and current top 10 players and it shows all the hard work is paying off. I’ve played Gordon a few times and I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing him again. And hopefully we can have another good doubles result.”
Hewett’s already opened his account in terms of winning titles this season after he and Reid clinched the men’s doubles in Brisbane over the weekend.
After easing through their opening match without dropping a game against Australia’s Henry de Cure and Jerry Markoja, top seeds Hewett and Reid were awarded a walkover ahead of their scheduled semi-final against a second Australian partnership, Adam Kellerman and Keegan Oh-Chee. The Brits went on to complete their fourth tournament win in six events played together as they saw off the challenge of Brazil’s Daniel Rodrigues and Australia’s Ben Weekes 6-3, 6-3.
Hewett is one of six players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme contesting the Sydney International Open this week.