Nadal shows Hewitt respect but no mercy in Miami rout

Perhaps more than any other players on the ATP Tour, Hewitt and Nadal have constructed careers around the relentless fighting spirit that has come to characterises their game and on Saturday the two warriors stared across the net at each other in a second round clash at the Sony Open. If the two had come together in their primes, the 27-year old Spaniard and the 33-year old Australian might have produced a rivalry as electric as Nadal and Roger Federer.

Rafael Nadal hits a return to Lleyton Hewitt in Key Biscayne on Saturday. — AP

But on Saturday it was Nadal, a champion at his peak pounding his way to a one-sided 6-1 6-3 win over a fearless brawler whose best fights are in the past.

While Nadal has won 62 titles, including 13 grand slams and 26 Masters series events, a victory on the Miami hardcourts is not among them and while he was happy to offer Hewitt plenty of respect he was not about to show the former-world number one any mercy. “No I cannot feel that way (sorry) for him,” said Nadal, a three time Miami finalist. “I am here to try my best I know how dangerous Lleyton is and I admire him so much. “He’s a great example for me, he keeps playing with passion and love for the game and that is a great example for the kids to. All the respect to.”

With his opening round victory on Thursday, Hewitt joined Nadal and Federer as the only active players with 600 or more career wins.

Following that milestone win, Hewitt said the reason he continued to play was for moments just like Saturday when he had the opportunity to play the game’s best.

World number two Novak Djokovic, a three-time winner in Miami, did not play on Saturday but became the first player through to the fourth round when his scheduled opponent Florian Mayer pulled out with a groin injury. Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka survived a rollercoaster start to his Sony Open campaign, advancing with a bumpy 6-0 3-6 6-3 win over Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver.

Third seed Wawrinka, playing just his second event since his milestone win in Melbourne, came out all guns blazing, blasting through the opening set in just 18 minutes.

Seventh seeded Tomas Berdych joined Wawrinka in the third round by dispatching Frenchman Stephane Robert 7-6(5) 6-1 while big-hitting Croatian Marin Cilic, the 25th seed, was shown the exit by Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-2 7-6(5). John Isner continued to carry the American flag, battling back for a 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4 win over compatriot Donald Young. Isner was left the last American man standing after Canada’s big-hitting Milos Raonic, seeded 12th, dispatched Jack Sock 6-4 7-6(1) and Sam Querry was dismissed 6-4 6-4 by Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.