Skip to main content

Karlovic blitzes Hewitt at Queen's Club

  • Author:
  • Publish date:

LONDON (AP) -- Former champion Lleyton Hewitt was brushed aside by 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic on Tuesday, losing 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round at Queen's Club.

Karlovic took command from the start, smashing seven aces in his first two service games and making an early break. The Croat went on to close the match with his 22nd ace.

"Yeah, it was frustrating, to say the least,'' Hewitt said. "It doesn't give you a chance to do a lot of things. You can't assess where you're at at the moment. You know, I can't assess my movement. Yeah, so it's just a frustrating day, all up.''

Hewitt, a four time winner of this tournament, failed to earn a break point in his eighth match of the season. The Australian was once ranked No. 1, but he has slumped to 205th following injuries. He needed a wild card to compete in this Wimbledon tuneup.

Nicolas Mahut of France earned a second-round meeting with top seed and defending champion Andy Murray by beating Guillermo Garcia Lopez of Spain 6-4, 6-2.

Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play Jamie Baker, who defeated fellow Briton Oliver Golding 7-6 (1), 6-3 to set up his clash with the 2011 finalist.

Former four-time champ Andy Roddick will face Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the second round after the Frenchman defeated Kazakh qualifier Evgeny Korolev 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4.