Cruz Hewitt Stages Comeback to Reach Winston-Salem Round of 32

Seventeen-year-old Cruz Hewitt overcame an early setback to defeat American Sebastian Gorzny in three sets at the Winston-Salem Open, securing a spot in the round of 32 on Tuesday.

Hewitt lost the first set 6-1 in just 27 minutes but rallied to win the second set in a tiebreak 7-4 and closed out the match 6-4 in the third, demonstrating resilience and an aggressive playing style.

The match, played in North Carolina, saw Hewitt summoned by the presence of his father, former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, who cheered him from the stands, adding emotional support during pivotal moments.

Hewitt explained his approach during the second-set tiebreak.

"Yeah, no, I think I was up 5-2 and then got back to kind of being close in the second set. And in the tie break, I felt like I had to kind of take charge and take my moments," Hewitt said.

He continued, describing his tactical shift to an aggressive net play style that helped him seize the lead.

"And that's where I feel like coming to the net, coming forward really helped me. So when I saw the short ball, I tried to take advantage of it. And I think that helped me get the lead in the tie break and then to finish it and win it," Hewitt said.

Throughout the match, Hewitt maintained a positive mindset, using crowd energy and his team’s support to fuel his performance in a long and fluctuating contest.

"Yeah, it was a pretty long match. So, you know, a lot of searching for positivity. That's probably what kept me in the match," Hewitt said.

He added, "I'm trying to get fired up and use the crowd, use my team, which I think I did well in the end, which was good."

This victory marks Hewitt's second ATP main draw win, following his maiden tour-level victory last month at the Mubadala Open in Washington.

Hewitt’s next opponent will be British player Arthur Fery, currently ranked No. 37 and a Wimbledon semi-finalist this year.

"Yeah, Arthur's a great player. He's had a lot of success and I'm really looking forward to it," Hewitt said. "I think it'll be a great experience for me to play in stadium against a top player like Arthur."

Hewitt described his outlook for the upcoming match simply.

"I feel like it's going to be a really fun match to play. I'm just going to enjoy it and go out there and try and give my best," he said.

The Winston-Salem Open serves as the final ATP tournament before the US Open, with many top-ranked players resting ahead of the year's last major. Hewitt’s performance signals his growing presence on the professional stage.