Cruz Hewitt has again left the tennis world stunned, this time rallying from a set down to beat Sebastian Gorzny 1-6 7-6(3) 6-4 in his second-ever men’s tour-level victory at the Winston-Salem Open.
Showing the trademarks of his famous father – former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt – the 17-year-old had to dig deep on Tuesday.
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He was outclassed by Gorzny in the first set, going down 6-1 in just 27 minutes.
But Hewitt battled hard to take the second set in a tie-break on the back of lengthy rallies and a strong service game.
And with the support of his legendary father, who was cheering him on from the stands, Hewitt eventually managed to secure a three set victory and a spot in the round of 32.
Fans impressed by the showing of determination heaped praise on the youngster and his spirit he showed to battle back to a win.
“Cruz Hewitt’s dream summer continues!” said journalist Jose Morgado.
“Never die attitude, just like his father.. vamos Hewitt,” wrote X user Binod.
“This match was a picture preview of Cruz Hewitt fighting spirit. And I hope to see many, many more of these matches,” added @FranzyBl.
“What a fight from Hewitt. At 17. Two tour-level wins already. The lad is definitely one to watch,” said @TennisForFun.
The official ATP X account wrote: “WHAT a comeback?!”
Hewitt’s next match is against British star Arthur Fery, who is in the midst of an incredible year, most recently making the Wimbledon semis.
Last month Hewitt broke through for his maiden men’s victory, upsetting Marcos Giron in straight sets at the Mubadala Open in Washington.
He will need a similarly epic performance if he is to get past No.4 seed Fery in the round of 32.