Hewitt slams 'stupid' hometown fans

By Leo Schlink in Adelaide

Lleyton Hewitt last night questioned the intelligence of Australian Crowds after storming into the AAPT Championships quarter-finals with a merciless hammering of fellow South Australian Dejan Petrovic at Memorial Drive.

In a remorseless mood, sixth seed Hewitt won the opening eight games of the match to stamp his authority on the contest in surging to a gaping 6-0 6-2 margin over wildcard entrant Petrovic.

But it was the stunning hostility of his hometown crowd which left 18-year-old Hewitt disappointed after being heckled whie questioning a line call in the sixth game of the first set.

"It's weird, but it's the stupidity of the Australian Public," Hewitt said.

"You always knock the better players"

"It was the same last year when I played (Slava) Dosedel and I'm playing in front of my home crowd and at least three-quarters of the crowd, if not more, were going for a Czech. I couldn't believe it.

"You look at Greg Norman. The guy's a champion and you have to respect the results he gets, but they knock him. He loses and he's called a choker."

"Whether it's Pat (Rafter), 'Stolts' (Jason Stoltenberg), Mark Philipoussis or myself, they should support us totally.

"They love you when you are playing for Australia in Davis Cup, but you come here..."

Hewitt was last season taunted by sections of the crowd, many of them younger than the 18-year-old and sounding suspiciously Australian despite waving foreign flags.

The antipathy has been only marginally less obvious this year as Hewitt battles what he believes is a virulent dose of tall poppy syndrome despite helping Australia to the Davis Cup last month.

Hewitt was offended by jibes of "grow up" and "get on with it" as he went to speak with chair umpire Denis Overberg late in the first set.

"I'm not going to change for a couple of idiots," he said.

"Just because of the scoreline, I'm not going to hold back.

"I was sure that ball was in and whether it's 5-0 and your playing the biggest pigeon in the world or bloody Andre Agassi, it doesn't matter.

"I saw the ball clearly in and I went up and saw Dennis, I didn't lose my s... I told him I saw it in and He said it was too close to call and I said 'beauty' and that was it."

Posting his 11th victory from 12 matches on Adelaide's show court, Hewitt dominated the 205th ranked Petrovic, who was dismissed in 65 minutes.

Australia was guaranteed a semi-finalist on Saturday after Jason Stoltenberg beat German Christian Vinck 3-6 6-4 6-4 and earned a quarter-final tilt at Hewitt.

Earlier yesterday, Swedish baseliner Magnus Norman dispatched Tasmanian Richard Fromberg 7-5 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals where he win meet Spaniard Alberto Martin.