Lleyton Hewitt sent packing by Feliciano Lopez in Washington
Thursday 6 August 2015 11:49, UK
Lleyton Hewitt was eliminated by Feliciano Lopez in his last ever match at the Washington Open on Wednesday night.
The veteran won the tournament in 2004 but, as his career winds down ahead of the next Australian Open when he will retire, ended his Washington association for good as Lopez ran out 4-6 7-5 6-3 winner in their second-round match.
Hewitt, a former Wimbledon and US Open champion, was handed a wild card in the capital of the United States but couldn't usurp the seventh-seeded Spaniard.
Lopez enjoyed a 44-23 edge in winners, including 15 aces, in two hours and 10 minutes. He had lost his first four career encounters to the Australian but has now won the most recent two.
Elsewhere, Kevin Anderson was another high-profile elimination after top seed Andy Murray was humbled by Teymuraz Gabashvili.
Anderson, ranked fifth in Washington, couldn't build on a bright start was defeated 2-6 6-3 6-4 by Alexander Zverev, the 18-year-old from Germany who is ranked at No 96 in the world.
Fourth seed Richard Gasquet only converted two of 17 break point opportunities but did enough to beat Gilles Muller 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Grigor Dimitrov was forced to battle past the world No 100 Guido Pella in two sets. The sixth seed from Bulgaria eventually won 7-6 6-4.
Eighth-seed John Isner, on home soil in the United States, won 6-3 7-6 against Victor Estrella Burgos while ninth-seed Viktor Troicki lost 6-3 6-4 to Sam Groth.
The seeds continued to tumble throughout Wednesday night as No 11 Bernard Tomic by defeated by the American Steve Johnson and No 14 Pablo Cuevas was eliminated by Ricardas Berankis. Sixteenth-seed Leonardo Mayer won in three sets against Blaz Rola.
