Hewitt, Mr Lleyton

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:04): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges the outstanding career of South Australian Lleyton Hewitt on his retirement from professional tennis;

(b) notes that he has been, and will continue to be, a wonderful role model and mentor for young South Australian tennis players; and

(c) highlights his distinguished record over his 20 year professional career.

I am very proud to rise to introduce this motion to the house to acknowledge an outstanding tennis career by South Australia's only number one tennis representative, Lleyton Hewitt. Lleyton was a young sportsperson who always attracted attention. I used to watch him as a junior down at Kidman Park. His parents were always by his side, as they are today, and he attributes his hard work, his passion and many of his trademarks as a reflection of his life. He was always someone who was determined, he was always someone who really wanted to achieve, but he always had an edge about him. I think he is an inspiration. He has been one of the great trademarks of Australian tennis and has always conducted himself in a very astute manner.

I move this motion today to acknowledge one of South Australia's greatest tennis players upon his retirement this year, although I note that he still seems to be heavily involved with the Davis Cup as the head coach. His role within Davis Cup typifies what he has brought to the game, the respect he has earned from young up and coming players and also the numbers that have come with him. I note that ABS stats show that tennis participation rates in South Australia sit just under 70,000, and I have no doubt that tennis stars such as Lleyton Hewitt have driven such strong numbers.

As the former number one tennis player called an end to his career playing in this year's Australian Open as his final major tournament, many people have reflected on his distinguished career. He was a character, as I have said, and most people will remember his fist pumps and his 'Come on!' but also one of his trademarks was that he was one of the very first tennis players to wear his hat backwards. We see today that many of our young sportspeople, aspiring tennis champions, have their caps on backwards, and I think it is one of the lasting legacies, with the 'Come on!', the hat on backwards and the fist pump.

For many people in this place who have watched games of tennis, those trademarks are almost like a tattoo that will never go away. It was interesting reading an online article in The Wall Street Journal, titled 'How Lleyton Hewitt changed the sport of tennis'. It reads:

…[Hewitt] unlocked a new way to play tennis, one that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have since perfected.

Before Hewitt, there used to be a clear division between defensive and offensive players. Hewitt blurred that line, which the game's aforementioned giants have since erased. Like Hewitt, they can all defend with bursts of speed and quick hands, but also attack from a defensive position. Like Hewitt, they have no glaring weaknesses.

To have The Wall Street Journal reflect on a great Australian tennis player like Lleyton Hewitt I think speaks volumes for the respect the world sporting stage and sportspeople have for Lleyton. It was a great tribute to his prowess on the court. Hewitt's style of celebration is now popular and widely used in sport. I will not use the 'Come on!' again because I have used it twice and that is enough.

An honourable member: Come on!

Mr WHETSTONE: Come on! I think people would reflect on his relentless energy. If he was down a set or down two sets, you could be assured that he would fight to the very end, and there were many, many five setters in which Lleyton would fight to the very end. In many instances, he would win a five-setter because of his doggedness and his capacity to never say never, to never lie down and to never die—it is etched into people's memories.

When Lleyton reached number 1 in the world, he was 20 years of age, and he is still the youngest in the sport's history to achieve that. He won two grand slam singles—the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002—and reached one Australian Open final, losing to Marat Safin in 2005. Many South Australians hold Lleyton dear as one of their great tennis players and one of their great sportspeople. He played AFL before he hit the tennis circuit. He was ranked number one in the under 18 division in 1996 and captured the under 18 national grasscourt title that year. He started from a tender young age, but he showed promise and determination and grit, and that took him to the heights of his tennis career.

We have seen the affiliation he has with South Australia and with Memorial Drive, which people will respect for many generations to come. He will be one of the great champions from South Australia. I want to touch on Lleyton's concerns about South Australian tennis infrastructure. He has joined the growing list of high-profile South Australian tennis players and sportspeople calling for an upgrade of Memorial Drive. Some of us have seen the draft drawings of the proposed upgrade of Memorial Drive as a multisport stadium, and I call on this government to do more than just look at it, do more than just let it sit in a drawer.

I would like to see Lleyton Hewitt's call for Memorial Drive to be held in greatness once again acted on. If we are going to get Davis Cup tennis back on the agenda in Adelaide, if we are going to get world series tennis events here, we have to have a world-class stadium. I recently attended one of the WTC events here in Adelaide. It was a great event. It was a bit of a warm-up to the Australian Open. Lleyton came here and played. When I looked around at the once great Memorial Drive, it was quite sad to see the northern stand in disrepair. It is rusty, it is falling down and it really does need a major overhaul.

The southern stand, too, looks old, dilapidated and out of touch in today's sporting stadium world. South Australians expect that we will have great events. We do have a drawcard stadium. We do have facilities that will draw people to South Australia. To complement the Adelaide Oval, Memorial Drive should be part of the great sporting precinct on the River Torrens. For too long, we have seen stadium facilities just let go, and every South Australian expects—

Mr Pengilly: Alberton Oval.

Mr WHETSTONE: Yes; Alberton Oval is not looking all that grand, but let's not get into that. Lleyton Hewitt's call should be a wake-up call that there is a need for an upgraded stadium, and we will see it happen. Whether it happens under the current government remains to be seen, but if it does not I am sure a Liberal government will give it much more consideration and a spotlight.

I would just like to reflect on Lleyton Hewitt's mentor, Mark Woodforde—a great South Australian, particularly noted for his doubles play. The Woodbridge-Woodforde partnership were doubles champions for many years. Lleyton Hewitt looked up to Mark as a young tennis player, just as Thanasi Kokkinakis looks up to Lleyton Hewitt in today's Davis Cup team in a mentoring role. I have seen many photos of Thanasi and Lleyton out together socially and they are just a great story within sport.

That is an example of a young protégé looking up to one of his greats. They are great South Australians who lead by example: they behave themselves, they work hard, they train hard, they play hard, and they have been able to take home success. I wish Thanasi all the best with his current injury, but once he gets that injury out of the way I am sure we will see some greatness come out of him. Mark my words, he will win a major in his tennis career.

I would like to pay respect to Lleyton's parents. Many people would have seen them standing behind Lleyton in the stands giving him support, and they travelled the world for many years. I do not think there were too many matches where they were not there giving him support. His father, Glynn, has been a tower of strength, and keeping him level-headed was just as important.

I want to touch a little bit on the personal side of Lleyton. Obviously, he follows one of the great AFL football teams in the country, the Adelaide Crows—go the Crows. There is not too much action over there when I say that.

Members interjecting:

Mr WHETSTONE: This is about Lleyton Hewitt—it is not about you guys. A few fun facts I will talk about are that his favourite food is Japanese and his favourite band is Cold Chisel. He now has a growing family, and I note that his young son has the tennis racquet out and is having hits on the court with his father. You never can tell—we might see a chip off the old man's block. Lleyton married Bec in 2005, and they have three children who travel around with him. It really is such a great story. One of his hopes before he retired was to one day captain Australia's Davis Cup team, and today he is doing just that—another dream fulfilled.

One of Lleyton's sporting heroes is Tyson Edwards, a former Adelaide Crows player and Port Power assistant coach—a Wynarka boy from the great electorate of Chaffey. That shows where it is all coming from. Lleyton is a very good golfer who has caddied for Greg Norman, and Aaron Baddeley is one of his very good mates. The good work that Lleyton is currently doing includes supporting many charitable foundations, particularly children's charities. I mentioned his father, Glynn, and his mother, Cherilyn, who were both great contributors to the sports sector.

In closing, I would like to mention Lleyton's ranking. lt all started way back in 1997 when he ranked 722. That was just a starting point but it did not take him long, and by 2000, he was ranked seventh in the world. By 2001/2002, he was number one in the world. He had injuries in 2003 and dropped back, but by 2004/2005 he was back into the top four in world rankings. Sadly, as many members would understand, ankle and knee injuries dogged him. Because of his style of play and the way he drove himself, the injury took over. He was always a top contender at any world tournament, but his rankings did not reflect that right at the end of his career.

This motion is about paying tribute to the greatness of South Australia's only number one tennis player. His influence on the young, and his influence on the game, has been inspirational. If you asked the many young tennis players today who would be their favourite tennis player they would have no hesitation in saying that it was Lleyton Hewitt. They would be wearing a cap on backwards, and when they win one of those really hard points, it would be 'Come on!'

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Audible laughter is out of order. What would Speaker Bishop do?

Mr GEE (Napier) (12:19): We have waited a long time to have this motion heard, so it is a real privilege today to stand and speak to acknowledge and congratulate a great South Australian tennis star, Lleyton Hewitt, on his outstanding career and his recent retirement from the world tennis tour.

Lleyton is the son of SANFL and VFL football star Glynn, and Cherilyn, a physical education teacher, both of whom have been staunch supporters of their son throughout his career. After playing AFL until the age of 13, Lleyton began to pursue a tennis career. He won numerous junior Australian titles under the guidance of his long-term junior coach, Peter Smith. He was part of the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) tennis program in the late 1990s and trained in the squad with fellow future champion Alicia Molik, under coach Roger Tyzzer.

In 1996, Hewitt won the under 18 Australian national grasscourt title and was ranked the number one Australian in the under 18 division. In 1997, the very next year, the Adelaide teenager made history, becoming the youngest player ever, at 15 years and 11 months, to qualify for the Australian Open. The world quickly began to notice Lleyton as his success in the sport continued. He broke through for his first ever ATP title in 1998, winning his hometown tournament, the Adelaide International, defeating Andre Agassi in the semifinals.

In 1999, he was a member of the Australian Davis Cup winning team which defeated France 3-2 in the final. In 2000, Lleyton was the youngest doubles player to ever win a grand slam when he partnered with Max Mirnyi at the US Open. At the age of 20, Lleyton won the 2001 US Open, making him the youngest player, and first Australian, ever to reach the world number one on the ATP world rankings. This is a phenomenal achievement and a record which cannot be understated. It is also one which may never be surpassed.

Beaming with confidence following his success in 2001, Hewitt picked up where he left off the following year. Not only did he retain his number one ranking, but added more silverware to his cupboard when he defeated Argentine David Nalbandian at Wimbledon in straight sets. Hewitt was the screaming, fist pumping, chest thumping firebrand on court. We all quickly became aware of his motivational 'Come on!' he would yell at himself, finding inspiration in his obsession with the movie Rocky. It is possible that he provided the lyrics for the well-known jingle, 'Come on Aussie, come on, come on.'

For his refusal to be beaten, he has been described by another Australian tennis legend, Pat Rafter, as a 'little mongrel'. On many occasions Hewitt would appear to be on his way out of a match, only to come back and win in thrilling style. In 2010, following a three-month break to recover from a hip ailment, he bounced back and claimed the 2010 Halle title in Germany, defeating Roger Federer in the final. Throughout his career, Hewitt won more than 600 matches. This includes 30 ATP singles titles, two of which were grand slam, two ATP masters, 1,000 singles titles and two year-ending championships. He was also the runner-up at the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup, 2004 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.

Hewitt has also played in more than 70 Davis Cup matches, winning a staggering 54 of them. He has won more Davis Cup rubbers than any other Australian Davis Cup player throughout his career. Hewitt has also proudly represented his country at the Olympic Games in 2000, 2008 and 2012. This year, Hewitt made his 20^th Australian Open appearance, where he officially retired from the ATP tour. Some of the game's most famous five-set victories are woven into the rich legend of Lleyton Hewitt, who has contested more marathon matches than any other man in the open era.

Many Australians would remember being glued to their televisions at 4.32 in the morning watching Hewitt fall to his knees after having survived a titanic third-round Australian Open 2008 against Marcos Baghdatis 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 in a match which lasted 285 gruelling minutes. Lleyton Hewitt is an absolute legend of the game. He has been an incredible representative of South Australia and the entire country. He has been an idol for many Australians young and old, and forms part of South Australian tennis royalty alongside Ken McGregor, Mark Woodforde and Darren Cahill. On 21 January this year, Lleyton said:

I do all the right things. I've prided myself my whole career on preparing as well as possible and doing all the one percenters to try and get the best result possible.

And this he has. South Australia is incredibly proud of Lleyton. With years of experience and amazing success, Hewitt now sets out on a new path in his tennis career as Davis Cup captain and a mentor. He is an amazing role model for our young South Australian tennis players and, as a mentor, he can provide advice, motivation and inspiration to our future tennis stars in a way only few can. Congratulations to Lleyton Hewitt. He is the creator and owner of a phenomenal legacy which will last throughout the years.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: If the member for Chaffey speaks, he closes the debate. Before I call him though, it would be good if the women's magazines stopped printing such terrible stories and perhaps reprinted both of your contributions today in the next editions. Member for Chaffey.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:25): Thank you, Deputy Speaker, my sentiments exactly. It is a sad social space that most people thrive on to the detriment of others. Lleyton Hewitt is a great South Australian. He is a great tennis player and a great sportsman, but I think, most of all, he is someone who young tennis players and young sports people of South Australia, more importantly, aspire to when they look at his ethic, the way that he works, the way he behaves himself and the way he applies himself in a competitive environment.

This morning, I was speaking to the CEO of Tennis SA to ask for some reflection on Lleyton's involvement as a South Australian with Memorial Drive. He said Lleyton always had dreams. His dreams were to be the world's number one, to win majors and to captain the Davis Cup for Australia. He married Bec and has three great kids. To achieve all of that, his ethic was to achieve, to have the right mentoring, show respect and have a strong work ethic.

To Lleyton Hewitt, well done. The people who support you, Lleyton—your family, your coaches and the tennis fraternity—hold you in very high regard. To the young South Australian tennis greats, take a leaf out of Lleyton's book. He leads by example. I think Thanasi Kokkinakis is the next great tennis player to come out of South Australia, and what he is doing is taking a leaf out of Lleyton's book.

Motion carried.