No pain, no gain for foxhole Hewitt

London:

Legendary American tennis coach Nick Bollettieri claimed that Lleyton Hewitt would be the man he'd pick to share his foxhole in a war and the Australian wouldn't disagree.

Hewitt, the 2002 Wimbledon champion, faces five-time winner Roger Federer on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals with the crippling pain in his hip, which has plagued him since April, getting steadily worse.

Not that he'd complain.

"A sign of weakness," said the 27-year-old.

"I don't complain about injuries too much. I think that comes from a (Aussie Rules) football background. You don't show when you're hurt. It's the same out on the court. Very rarely do I give away signs if I'm hurting at all."

Hewitt needed five sets to see off Dutchman Robin Haase in the first round before going on to beat Albert Montanes and Simone Bolelli to reach the fourth round at the All England Club.

He admitted that Tiger Woods, who famously limped to a marathon US Open win earlier this month, has been an inpsiration in his attempt to overcome similar hurdles.

"I love watching Tiger play. He's one of my favorite sportsmen. What he did was incredible. I don't really know if anyone else would have been able to do it," said the Australian who was stunned by the American's ability to carry his knee injury into a fifth day play-off.

"Not only to play four rounds and then go out and play a fifth day. No-one else on this planet could have got through with the win."