Lleyton Hewitt considers cutting losses and having surgery

AILING Lleyton Hewitt will today decide whether his next step involves sliding on to the red clay of Roland Garros or slipping into a medical gown to fix his troublesome hip.
The dual Grand Slam winner has been sidelined with the problem since steering Australia to a Davis Cup win over Thailand in Townsville last month. But it has been hindering him since the Australian Open.
Although Hewitt, 27, has taken a tentative step forward this week by taking to the court to practise, his French Open prospects are dire and a Wimbledon campaign is also in doubt.
The world No19's manager David Drysdale yesterday said Hewitt, who has received daily attention from Davis Cup team doctor David Brooks and has consulted specialists at Sydney's North Shore Private Hospital, will decide today whether to abandon the European summer in a bid to correct the problem before the US Open in late August.
"We are still having discussions, looking at what is best for Lleyton, what could happen and what may not happen," Drysdale said.
"He knows we have to make a decision this weekend."
The former Wimbledon and US Open winner said this week he was waiting on the results of scans before deciding on a course of action.
"The hip is starting to feel a little better, but I'm yet to fully test it out on court," Hewitt said. "The specialist did a couple more tests today but the results won't be back for a few days. Once I get those, I can make a decision on the French Open and the grass-court season."
Drysdale said while Hewitt had been able to hit balls this week, his training sessions had been halved from the usual three hours and were of lower intensity than usual.
But he said the South Australian wanted to give himself every chance to play the next two Grand Slam events.
"I guess what we are looking at is how he pulls up after a couple of hits and whether the hip is any better," Drysdale said.
Hewitt has much to consider in terms of deciding his immediate future. He has more than 400 points to defend during this period after enjoying a reasonable run of form on clay and grass last year.
He has already forfeited the points earned in reaching the semi-finals at Hamburg last year, while he reached the same round at an event at Poertschach, Austria a week later.
If Hewitt is unable to compete at either the French Open or Wimbledon, his ranking will hit free-fall given he reached the round of 16 at both events last year. Hewitt, whose ranking will slip to its lowest level since he cracked the top 20 in January, 2000, could slide towards 50 depending on the medical advice he receives.
Drysdale yesterday did not rule out surgery, which would jeopardise Hewitt's participation in both the US Open in late August and a qualifying tie against Serbia in September that Australia must win to return to the Davis Cup world group next year.
"There is a lot of talk from people that he should have surgery, but that is a last resort," Drysdale said.
"He would be out for a period of time ... but that could easily happen. We are just trying to remain positive."