Wimbledon 2008: Roger Federer v Lleyton Hewitt - Live

The preamble He has been serene and he has been unruffled, strolling on to Center Court in a gold-trimmed cardigan and exiting, an eye-blink later, with the scalp of yet another hapless victim. And yet on this, Wimbledon's second Monday, reigning champ Roger Federer faces what is - at least potentially - an altogether sterner test in the scrappy, rodential form of Lleyton Hewitt - a Wimbledon winner himself in those bygone days of 2002.

These two have played each other 21 times in all - a rivalry stretching back to 1999. Hewitt dominated those first encounters; since then it has been all Federer. He has won the last 11 encounters and now leads 13 matches to eight.

So how will match number 22 pan out? I'm guessing that all depends on the Fed. If he plays well, he'll win - and probably in straight sets. But if he's even slightly off the pace, Hewitt has the game to cause him all manner of headaches. Federer is the game's richest, most complete player. But Hewitt (with the possible exception of Rafael Nadal) is its most dogged, tenacious competitor. He exceptional foot-speed and an uncanny ability to wriggle under his opponent's skin. So the Swiss needs to be at his best here. If not, we could be in for long and torrid street brawl.



Xan will be here with all the action from 1pm. Ish.