Latest news with #OskariPaldanius
News.com.au
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Not fine': Cruz Hewitt snaps at father Lleyton during second-round Wimbledon exit
Cruz Hewitt has been knocked out of the Wimbledon boy's singles tournament during a frustrating match in which he repeatedly took aim at his tennis legend father Lleyton. Cruz, The 16-year-old Aussie, who is 45th in the world junior rankings, fell in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 on Tuesday morning (AEST) to Finland's 11th seed Oskari Paldanius. Cruz was spotted becoming increasing frustrated as he lost control of the second-round match, an began taking his frustration out on his father who was attempted to coach him from the stands. As reported by the Daily Mail, Cruz at one point accused Lleyton of 'acting for the cameras' before snapping back at a piece of coaching from his father with the reply 'I tried that!' In response to his team telling him 'everything was fine' in the second set, Cruz reportedly replied, 'it's not fine, it's nearly four-love!' It was all a far cry from the cool, calm and collected Cruz Hewitt who delighted Wimbledon crowds in the opening round on Sunday with his 6-1 6-2 victory over Russia's Savva Rybkin. 23 years after his dad Lleyton won the men's title at Wimbledon, fans on the famous grass courts couldn't help but draw comparisons between the father and son. 'Same backwards cap, same Yonex racket, same Nike heritage polo, same attitude. A carbon copy,' tennis commentator Bastien Fachan wrote on X, echoing the thoughts of fans across the globe. Hewitt 2.0 was almost untouchable in the opening match in the boys singles. With his dad watching and fist-pumping from the stands, Cruz looked eerily similar to his old man as he guided two-fisted backhands down the line and roared in celebration. Only 16, Cruz is hoping to emulate the famous feats of his father, which included victory over David Nalbandian in the 2002 Wimbledon men's singles final.
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Cruz Hewitt fumes at his tennis legend dad, Lleyton, as the young Aussie star suffers hot-tempered Wimbledon defeat
Cruz Hewitt took his frustrations out on former Wimbledon champion dad, Lleyton, during a hot-tempered second-round defeat in the boys singles. Australian Lleyton, who won the title in 2002, was on Court 5 to support his 16-year-old son as he fell to a 6-3, 6-0 to 11th seed to Oskari Paldanius. As the match slipped away from Cruz, the youngster got increasingly agitated towards his father, gesturing in his direction after almost every point – once even appearing to accuse Hewitt senior, who sat motionless under a cap and sunglasses for most of the contest, of 'acting for the cameras'. At one point after Lleyton, sporting a backwards cap in true Hewitt family fashion, tried to give him some words of wisdom from the side of court, Cruz responded: 'I tried that!'. Another piece of advice prompted the youngster to walk away shaking his head. When he hit one strong winner in the second set, he turned immediately to his dad and prodded his finger into his own chest. Cruz fired back at his team multiple times on the court on Tuesday, as they tried to offer up words of support and advice to help the youngster progress After his team tried to reassure him that everything was 'fine' as he faced break point at 3-0 in the second set, he snapped back: 'It's not fine, it's nearly four-love!' How different it was from the start of this tie when he took the second point of the match and produced a trademark Hewitt fist pump towards his team. 'Here you go, mate, all day!' Lleyton roared when Cruz, already in the top 50 junior ranks, broke back in the opening set. 'Great spots mate,' he cried at another winning point. How different, too, to Cruz's opening-round where he obliterated Russian Savva Rybkin 6-1, 6-2 inside 51 minutes. 'Dad was proud, it was great to have him there,' Cruz told The Sydney Morning Herald after his win. 'It was a great feeling. 'I've watched my dad play here for many years, and I've always wanted to play on these courts, so I was enjoying every moment. Hewitt (pictured) was beaten 6-3, 6-0 by 11th seed Oskari Paldanius. Despite the loss, he had gotten off to a fast start in the match, fist-bumping the air after taking the second point 'He just said: 'Now you can finally play on the courts and enjoy it', so it was a great day. 'There is nothing you can do about [who your dad is]. It's a little tough, but there are pros and cons, and you've just got to focus on the positives that come with it, so that's what I try and do.' Hewitt's victory followed his victory over world No 5 Jagger Leach, two years his senior and son of former Wimbledon champion Lindsay Davenport, at Roehampton a week ago.
