Hewitt taking care of business in Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Lleyton Hewitt is at the Australian Open on business, and he says it's only half completed.

Hewitt routed Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in the third round Saturday to move into the second week of the Australian Open.

Hewitt lost the first two games of the match then dropped only three others the rest of the way.

A year ago, the Aussie was recovering from chickenpox and was beaten in the first round. He had arrived as the new No. 1 player, and the quick ouster stung.

He is intent on setting things straight. After Saturday's match, he saluted the crowd and walked to his courtside seat, not with a smile but with gritted teeth.

"It's a big relief," he said. "Nothing went right last year obviously, and there was obviously a lot of pressure and expectation coming into it again this year, being No. 1 seed and being fitter and healthier as well.

"The last few Grand Slams I've been able to play some of my better tennis toward the end rather than at the start. I feel like I'm getting better and better with each match."

He next faces Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui, seeded 18th, who beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8). Hewitt defeated El Aynaoui in four sets in a quarterfinal at last year's U.S. Open.

Hewitt had few problems against Stepanek, who is ranked No. 68. After the first two games, he "felt pretty much in control" and Stepanek was almost reduced to a spectator.

"I thought it would be a little bit tougher than it turned out," Hewitt said.

Hewitt has dropped just seven games in his last six sets.

"You really can't go out there and expect to cruise through," he said. "You've got to put your head down and work extremely hard."