MELBOURNE: Two-time grand slam champion Pat Rafter’s return to the big-time after retiring 13 years ago lasted just 73 minutes when he and his former Davis Cup team mate Lleyton Hewitt lost in straight sets in the Australian Open doubles on Wednesday.
Australia’s Davis Cup captain Rafter admitted to huge nerves when he agreed to team up with former world number one Hewitt at Melbourne Park.
The barrel-chested Queenslander appeared to have lost little of his touch in the 6-4, 7-5 loss to doubles specialists Eric Butorac and Raven Klaasen.
“I was pretty nervous, I was copping it in the locker room, we were having a lot of fun – at my expense,” Rafter quipped in a courtside interview. “(Ivan) Lendl’s a menace, he’s an absolute pest, he was giving it to me,” Rafter said of the eight-time grand slam winner, now coaching Andy Murray.
“I wish I returned a bit better. And my second shot was just – forget it, it was horrible. At a certain stage, I was just laughing.” (Reuters)
