Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt will travel to Paris to begin preparations for the French Open, the Australian hoping a nagging hip injury will clear by the start of the tournament on May 25.
The former US Open and Wimbledon champion said he would be assessed daily by coach Tony Roche and trainer Ivan Gutierrez while practicing on the clay at Roland Garros.
- Special: Henin seeks life beyond tennis
"I thought it best to go to Paris and start my originally planned preparation, in the hope that the hip will be okay for me to compete," Hewitt said in a statement on his web site.
"I am being optimistic about playing the French and also the grasscourt season, especially Wimbledon.
"I've now just got to prepare as well as possible and hope the body holds up for me."
Hewitt has not played in more than a month because of the injury and said he would give himself until the first day of the second Grand Slam of the year to decide whether he would compete.
The injury is the latest in a series of setbacks that have plagued the 27-year-old since he lost the world number one ranking in 2003.
He won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon the following season but has not won a Grand Slam title since and has steadily slipped down the rankings to 26th.
© 2024 Rediff.com -