6/25/2001
Love All: Lleyton and His Bubbly Girlfriend
by Helen McCabe
AS Lleyton Hewitt prepared for the start of Wimbledon tomorrow he found time for some playful moments with his girlfriend Kim Clijsters.
Clijsters, who yesterday brushed Jelena Dokic out of the Heineken Trophy in Holland, amused herself by blowing bubble gum in Hewitt's face as the couple returned from an intimate dinner.
Sporting his new-look shaved head, Hewitt responded by mimicking Clijsters, 18, before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
Expectations grew that the fifth-seeded Hewitt could lift the Wimbledon title when he beat Belgian Gilles Elseneer to reach the semi-finals of the Heineken Trophy yesterday.
"I give myself a good chance at Wimbledon, an outside chance," said Hewitt, who had a confidence-boosting win over seven-time champion Pete Sampras on the way to defending his Queen's title. "I'm feeling good. The last week and a half has been really enjoyable."
Hewitt and Clijsters spent just over an hour at a Chinese restaurant in Den Bosch, where local diners seemed oblivious to the high-profile sporting duo's identity, before they strolled back to the modest Nuland Hotel.
Hewitt, 20, who is reluctant to talk publicly about his relationship laughed and held Clijsters' hand over the table as he talked animatedly about the day's play.
Afterwards the pair stepped out onto the major highway, not far from the Rosmalen tennis stadium and again joined hands for the short walk home.
Both go into Wimbledon in top form. Clijsters was runner-up in the French Open.
"We've both been playing well in different tournaments," Hewett said later.
"Obviously mine has come from playing in Queen's last week . . . she's probably still got that self-belief in herself after making the final of the French Open."
Throughout the tournament, Clijsters continued to wear an elegant gold ring with a single diamond on her wedding finger.
It is understood friends of the couple on the international tennis circuit believe the pair are very much in love.
Hewitt is currently ranked number five in the world while Clijsters is ranked seven.
However, they were both seeded top in Holland.
The couple spent every spare minute in each other's company by catching the same car to and from the stadium and sharing a $135 room away from the other guests behind large metal gates.
In the morning they ate breakfast together and during the day Hewitt showed his devotion by sitting through as many of her games as he could.
At tense moments in the games he could be seen giving her an occasional nod of support.
Hewitt was also joined in Europe by his best mate from Emmanuel College in Adelaide Hayden Eckermann, 20, and his brother Jarred, 18.
"It's good just to have a coupla of the boys come over for this stretch," Hewett said.
"They did it last year and they're doing it again this year."
"It's hard coming through a sort of long period in Europe . . . so I hadn't seen all my mates for awhile so it's nice just to get back that feeling even though it is a long way back from Australia. It's that connection of being home, anyway."
Hayden told The Sunday Telegraph he has known Hewitt since they were in the seventh grade at school and have been best mates ever since.
He said Hewitt seemed to like having him around to support him during the games.
"He likes it and it's good. He looks over at us and it's good for us to watch him play," he said.
Aside from being responsible for shaving Hewitt's head, the old school buddies also helped out at practice sessions and joined him in the stands to watch Clijsters.
"She's a really nice girl," Hayden said.
While Hewitt remains cautious about his chances at Wimbledon, reigning champion Pete Sampras believes the feisty Australian has what it takes.
"I would almost rather play him on hardcourt rather than grass," said Sampras in a startling admission from a man who has won 53 of his past 54 matches at Wimbledon for seven crowns.
"After he beat me in the (Queens) final last year, I thought he would go further.
"But I think he'll break through this year and do well.
"He has the mental attitude and the wheels. He moves unbelievably well on grass. All the great Wimbledon champions have had that great mobility – (Bjorn) Borg, (John) McEnroe; they could all move."
|
