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Anything but Cruz-ing: Hewitt shows trademark family grit, sets up big clash in latest tour win A month after a stirring debut on the ATP Tour, Cruz Hewitt will clash with Wimbledon surprise packet Arthur Fery in a US Open lead-in event in Winston-Salem after pulling off a great comeback on Monday. The 17-year-old, who received a wildcard into what is his second senior tournament, started slowly against former Wimbledon boys doubles champion Sebastian Gorzny before finding his rhythm to prevail 1-6 7-6 (3) 6-4. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Hewitt, who came through qualifying in Washington D.C last month and posted a win over the Top 100-ranked Marcos Giron in his first regular tour match before falling to Alex de Minaur in the second round, improved as the match went on. The right-hander, who played a lower tier event earlier in August before the opportunity to impress at the primary ATP level was offered last week, struck 11 of his 18 winners for the match in the final set against Gorzny. “He played an amazing first set. I didn’t really know what to expect. Then I thought I handled the pressure well and came back playing some better tennis than the first set and it was a fun battle for sure,” Hewitt said. “I think this is a great first match to get into the tournament, to play on these courts. It was my first time playing here, so I feel like the longer the match was, (the) better the preparation for the next match for me. “I feel like I was competing really well. I wanted to win so I just stayed out here to try and get the win so that was probably what I was most happy about.” READ MORE ‘Brink of exploding’: How good is Cruz Hewitt... and truth about nepotism claims Aussies must accept C’mon! Cruz Hewitt causes massive boilover on ATP Tour debut ... after a warm-up with dad The Wimbledon boys finalist reached a quarterfinal of a World Tennis US$25,000 event in Southaven after his great performance in Washington D.C, which saw him jump from a ranking in the 600s to his current ranking of 368. The opening round victory in Winston-Salem will see him jump to a ranking of about 350 and his ability to win a main draw match in successive ATP tournaments will also appeal to tournament directors with wildcards to offer in coming months. Preceding his appearance at Winston-Salem, the tournament leant into the Australian for social media postings, which is an indication the son of former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt already has the capacity to draw fans and sell tickets to matches. His next test against Arthur Fery is a difficult one, with the English No.2 demonstrating his quality when reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon in July in a stunning run. Fery subsequently pushed de Minaur, the Australian No.1, in a clash in the Cincinnati Masters midway through August and will be positioned just outside the seedings for the US Open beginning on Wednesday. Hewitt was one of three Australian winners in the $1.14 million event, with veteran James Duckworth and Queenslander Adam Walton also progressing to the Rd of 32 in the tournament. That pair will feature in the year’s last grand slam in New York, while Hewitt will have to wait until the Australian Open to make his grand slam debut after Tennis Australia selectors opted against issuing him the reciprocal wildcard for the US Open. James McCabe was the only Australian man in action in US Open qualifying on Monday but was beaten in straight sets. But Jordan Lee, the American sensation who edged Hewitt in a high-quality boys final at Wimbledon in July, strengthened the form line of that event by defeating Mark Lalal in the opening round qualifying match at Flushing Meadows.