AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS LLEYTON HEWITT AM
Australian football might have snared Lleyton Hewitt if not for a development tour to Europe when he was just 13.
"I went overseas and I won three events. I went to almost being No"1 in the world for under-14s," Hewitt reflected yesterday, after being awarded an AM, member in the general -division, for his services to tennis and the community. 
"So that made me realise, this is what I probably should be doing and where I want to be.
"I don't seem to be that bad at it, so let's give it a go." Good thing he did.
At 20, he became the youngest on the senior men's professional tour to hold the No"1 ranking.
It was   November 2001 and two months earlier Hewitt had collected his first grand slam singles - the US Open, defeating the great Pete Sampras.
He followed that with the 2002 Wimbledon trophy and nearly claimed the 2005 Australian Open, losing to Russian Marat Safin.
His never-give-up style of tennis has endeared him to the nation, and it seems only fitting that his AM comes during his 20th and final appearance as a player at this year's Australian Open.
He is also a two-time Olymp-ian, competing in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). "I have always felt privileged to represent my country. I love Australia so when I'm out there playing it's not hard to give everything I've got for them."Hewitt is Australia's longest-serving and most successful Davis Cup player. He has a 58-20 win-loss for singles and doubles and won the cup with his teammates in 1999 and 2003.