Hewitt beats del Potro to win Kooyong Classic exhibition

Associated Press

1/12/2013 9:23:27 AM

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt warmed up for his 17th Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Juan Martin del Potro on Saturday in the final of the Kooyong classic invitational exhibition tournament.

The 31-year-old Hewitt won the tournament, a traditional warmup for the season's first major, for the second time in three years and said "I hit the ball as well as I have in a long time."

Hewitt has a tough first-round match at the Australian Open against No. 8-seeded Janko Tipsarevic on Monday night. The veteran Australian has won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, but only once reached the final of his home major.

Saturday's win over No. 7-ranked del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, followed wins over Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic.