Can teenage Aussie challenge Super Safin?
PHILADELPHIA (Sports Network) – With an apparent changing of the guard upon us in men’s tennis, can the mighty Marat Safin be challenged in the near future by teenage Aussie Lleyton Hewitt? The 20-year-old Safin appears to be the man to beat right now, with an ATP Tour-leading five titles this season, including the incredible straight-set dismantling of the legendary Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open final. But Hewitt, even younger than Safin at the tender age of 19, shows many of the same qualities as his Russian counterpart. Safin possesses powerful strokes and great athleticism, but so does Hewitt, who opposed Sampras in the U.S. Open semifinals, engaging the big-hitting American in a hard-fought, 2-hour and 36-minute three-set slugfest. Hewitt, who also gave way to Pete in a semifinal match in Miami earlier this season, sent notice at the Open that he has arrived. The spry Aussie paired with Belarusian Max Mirnyi to capture the U.S. Open men’s doubles title after entering the competiti
