Lleyton Hewitt is on an awful run both on and off the court

Out in five... Lleyton Hewitt leaves Centre Court after succumbing to Robin Soderling. OK. Lleyton Hewitt. This is the match Australian tennis fans have been waiting for since the draw was made nearly a week ago here at the All England Club. The 2002 champion against the number five seed. And of course it's on Centre Court.

Now Hewitt is on an awful run both on and off the court. Injuries have nearly crippled the former world number one, but he keeps battling on despite a ranking that is in freefall. His record here is amazingly consistent. He's reached the third round or better for the last eight years, ever since that stunning first-round loss to Ivo Karlevic as defending champion in 2003. That said, he's only once got past the quarter-finals other than in 2002, and that was six years ago when he lost to eventual winner Roger Federer in the semi-finals.

The tightest of first sets goes the way of Hewitt in a tie-break, with the Australian in good form, although neither player faced or gained a break point, so there's little in it.