Hewitt advances to quarter-final

Lleyton Hewitt celebrates winning against Feliciano Lopez of Spain at the Brisbane International Tennis. Pic Darren England. Source: Darren England / News Limited

LLEYTON Hewitt backed his ability to last through the most grueling of hardcourt battles this summers after producing all his age-old tenacity today to win his Brisbane International second-round match over Spain's sixth seed Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-3.

Chasing his first week-one title win since his Adelaide final win 14 years ago, Hewitt, 32, watched as his draw opened up after he had ventured at least one round better than his second-round exit at his only previous Pat Rafter Arena tournament 12 months earlier.

"I feel I can last as well as anyone on the court and it's a good sign leading into the Australian Open,'' Hewitt, ranked No.60, said.

In Friday's quarter-final, Hewitt will play Marius Copil, a Romanian qualifier who scored the second career win over a top-20 player when he fought off France's third seed Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-3 to make his first ATP quarter-final.

Hewitt is the second Australian to make the last eight at the event, joining Marinko Matosevic, who will take on Roger Federer on Friday.

Lleyton Hewitt of Australia hits a backhand volley in his match against Feliciano Lopez of Spain at the Brisbane International tennis tournament. Source: AFP

The winner of Hewitt and Copli, 23, will advance to a semi-final on Saturday against either second seed Kei Nishikori or Croatian Marin Cilic.

Lopez served for the first set at 5-4, but Hewitt turned off the tap on his unforced errors and found a way of countering the Spanish left-hander in their backcourt duel, admitting he targeted his opponent's backhand.

Hewitt fell a break of serve behind in the third game and then had to save six break points across his next two service games to stay in the first set.

But the ascendency of Lopez was worn away by the second-ranked Australian, who extended his career edge over the Spaniard to 4-0 with a fire which led him to gesture repeatedly to his supporters in his courtside box.

Copil, ranked No.147, beat only two top-100 players in 2013 but he says he has made improvements to his fitness since his father Craciun took charge of his fitness in mid-November.

"He is there for a reason. I'm old enough to know I have to back well tomorrow,'' Hewitt said.

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