TORONTO, July 30: World number one Lleyton Hewitt crashed out 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to 55th-ranked Felix Mantilla of Spain in the opening round of the $2.95 million Canada Tennis Masters Monday.

The 21-year-old Australian, who has spent the last three weeks basking in the glow of his Wimbledon triumph, could not shake off the rust as he began the hardcourt season and the build-up to his US Open title defence with a stunning defeat.

The top seed broke Mantilla’s serve to go 2-1 up and again to lead 5-2 before serving out the opening set. But Mantilla hit back to take a 5-4 lead in the second before heavy rain forced a two-hour delay.

When the players returned to the floodlit court Mantilla claimed the decisive break to level the match at one set apiece.

In the third set, Hewitt held serve only once as Mantilla registered his second career win over a world number one.

Tim Henman also returned to the court for the first time since Wimbledon, the fourth-seeded Briton recording a confidence-boosting 6-4, 6-4 win over Spain’s Fernando Vicente to became the first player to register 40 victories this season.

Roger Federer joined Hewitt out of the exit door, the 10th-seeded Swiss succumbing to the heat and Argentina’s Guillermo Canas 7-6 (12-10), 7-5.

Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

First round: Felix Mantilla (Spain) beat 1-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; 4-Tim Henman (Britain) beat Fernando Vicente (Spain) 6-4, 6-4; 9-Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6); Guillermo Canadaas (Argentina) beat 10-Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-6 (12-10), 7-5; 14-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 6-3, 6-3; Todd Martin (US) beat Greg Rusedski (Britain) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5; Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4); Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) beat Arnaud Clement (France) 6-3, 6-3; Fabrice Santoro (France) beat Francenk Dancevic (Canada) 7-5, 6-3; 15-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Cyril Saulnier (France) 6-4, 6-3; Marcelo Rios (Chile) beat Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6); Taylor Dent (US) beat Magnus Norman (Sweden) 6-1, 6-2; Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Alex Kim (US) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Michel Kratochvil (Switzerland) 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-3); Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) beat Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) 6-3, 6-3; James Blake (US) beat Sebastien Larose (Canada) 6-2, 6-1.

PIERCE ALSO BEATEN

SAN DIEGO (California): Former French Open champion Mary Pierce had trouble seeing the ball as she went down 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Germany’s Greta Arn in the first round of the $750,000 Acura Classic at the La Costa Resort and Spa on Monday.

Pierce was broken three times in the third set and lost the match when she dumped a forehand into the net. The match began as the sun was going down and, when darkness started to set in by the middle of the second set, Pierce was having problems seeing under the lights.

MONDAY’S RESULTS:

First round: Greta Arn (Germany) beat Mary Pierce (France) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) beat Sarah Taylor (US) 6-2, 6-2; Gala Leon Garcia (Spain) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-3, 6-2; Ashley Harkleroad (US) beat Rita Grande (Italy) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4); Marissa Irvin (US) beat Amy Frazier (US) 6-3, 6-4; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-3, 6-2; Katerina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Allison Bradshaw (US) 6-2, 6-4; Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) 5-7, 6-2, 6-0; Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Italy) 6-2, 6-1; Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian (Switzerland) beat Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) 6-4, 6-3.—Reuters/AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Doctor attacked
09 Jun, 2026

Doctor attacked

AN act of reprehensible violence has shaken the medical community. On Saturday, an employee of the Provincial Civil...
AJK flare-up
Updated 09 Jun, 2026

AJK flare-up

The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law-enforcers.
Fault lines
09 Jun, 2026

Fault lines

THE April 8 ceasefire that halted hostilities between Israel and Iran has encountered its most serious test yet....
Soft on traders
08 Jun, 2026

Soft on traders

THE Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme for traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs200m has been designed as a ‘pragmatic...
Ceasefire in name
Updated 08 Jun, 2026

Ceasefire in name

Both sides accuse the other of violating the truce that was supposed to halt the conflict in April, yet neither appears willing to abandon negotiations altogether.
Damaged childhoods
08 Jun, 2026

Damaged childhoods

CHILD abuse is so prevalent that the UN ranked Pakistan as the least safe country for children. Even so, more than...