Sydney - Lleyton Hewitt has done an abrupt about-face in the name of Australian tennis politics, lending his support to the candidacy of former Grand Slam doubles winner Paul McNamee as president of the federation when elections are held Monday. "Macca," who directed the Australian Open for a decade, clashed some seasons ago with the Hewitt camp over the-then Rebound Ace rubberised court surface, which the player said was too slow and not favourable to local talent.
That war of words only ended when the administrator left the job in 2006. But three years can be a lifetime in shifting political alliances.
Now Hewitt is on board with the McNamee campaign in the effort to replace longtime Tennis Australia boss Geoff Pollard, two decades at the helm after having run without opposition.
"In my opinion tennis in Australia and the way it is being administered needs addressing, as we are falling behind many other nations in the world, as well as other sports in our own country," Hewitt said on his website.
"The current administration appear excellent at 'talking things up,' wanting complete total control of tennis in Australia and trying to be a Fortune 500 company!!
"But the loser at the moment is the game of tennis and that is what is continually being discussed within the tennis community.
"So where should be the first place one looks for change? At the top, the president, the chairman of the board!"
Tennis Australia has been involved in financial dramas, matching better-funded majors with prize money increases almost annually while losing several major sponsors over the past year.
In addition, the body is due to post a 7-million-dollar annual loss when the next financial statement is released.
Despite training programmes, the men's game has little to show, with former number one Hewitt at 23rd in the world and Peter Luczak ranked 64th.
Hewitt went out of this week's Shanghai Masters in a second-round loss to Gael Monfils and is aiming his form at peaking for January and the Australian Open.
