Hewitt changes Open preparations
 |  Hewitt has yet to get beyond the fourth round in the Australian Open |
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SYDNEY, Australia -- Lleyton Hewitt has decided upon a different Australian Open build-up as he bids to become the first home winner in 29 years.
The world No.3 will miss the Hopman Cup in Perth, where he was guaranteed at least three singles matches plus three mixed doubles, and returned to an old formula.
As he did from 1998-2001, Hewitt will use tournaments in Adelaide and Sydney to prepare him for an assault on the Australian Open, in Melbourne, starting on January 17.
Hewitt captured four titles from five finals in Adelaide and Sydney during that productive four-year run before reducing his workload amid concerns he was burnt out by the time of the season's opening grand slam event.
Hewitt now believes he has the physical and mental strength to go through Adelaide and Sydney without losing his edge in the second week at Melbourne.
The former world No.1, who has yet to progress beyond the fourth round at the Australian Open, is trying to replicate his charge to this year's US Open final.
With extra strength in his legs following three finals in three weeks on the US circuit, Hewitt continued his grand slam assault all the way to the Flushing Meadows final against Federer.
The 23-year-old Australian will feel equally comfortable in Adelaide, his hometown, and in Sydney, where he is the titleholder, three-time champion and owner of a 25-1 win-loss record at Olympic Park.
"I would do anything to play that last match (the men's singles final) on that Sunday night at the Australian Open," Hewitt says of his childhood dream.
No Australian has won the national open since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
While Hewitt is opting for Adelaide and Sydney as his lead-up events, his main rivals have chosen a more proven build-up.
Round robin
Eight of the last 10 Australian Open men's champions have prepared for the first grand slam of the year at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne and eight of the world's best will again be playing in the round robin exhibition event from January 12-15.
While the likes of world No.5 Carlos Moya and 12th-ranked Joachim Johansson pose the greatest threats to Hewitt in Adelaide and Sydney, tennis' biggest stars including Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, Tim Henman and David Nalbandian, will be fine-tuning their games at Kooyong.
Only Agassi in 1995 and Swedish surprise packet Thomas Johansson (2002) have bucked the trend over the last decade and won the Open after readying themselves somewhere other than Kooyong the week prior.
"Lleyton seems to enjoy Sydney but, if he doesn't do well at the Open this year, maybe he will give us some more serious thought next year," Kooyong Classic promoter Colin Stubs said.
