Hewitt to get unprecedented security in Argentina

MELBOURNE, Sep 15 (Reuters) Tennis Australia will provide unprecedented security for Lleyton Hewitt during next week's Davis Cup semi-final in Argentina, a spokesman said today.

Hewitt, who has had a string of angry confrontations with leading Argentine players, will have two minders from a private security firm following his every move during the Sept. 22-24 tie in Buenos Aires.

''This is the first time where we've felt it necessary to have this level of security,'' TA media manager John Lindsay said.

''We have held several discussions with Lleyton and we felt it was necessary to have this kind of arrangement in place to ensure he was part of the team.

''The security guards will accompany Lleyton throughout the weekend and give him the assurance we felt he needed. We've also had productive talks with the Argentine federation and are hopeful things will go smoothly.'' The former US Open and Wimbledon champion has expressed concerns about his safety during the match and was only confirmed in captain John Fitzgerald's team last week.

''The situation has got steadily worse for visiting teams and it takes only one whacker over there to turn things on its head,'' Hewitt said in July.

Firebrand Hewitt, who overcame knee problems to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows last week, was once voted one of the most unpopular sportsmen in Argentina after a history of acrimonious clashes with their players.

UGLY SPAT Juan Ignacio Chela was fined for spitting in Hewitt's direction when they clashed in the third round of the Australian Open last year.

Then in the quarter-finals Hewitt brushed shoulders at a change of ends with David Nalbandian, the man he beat in the 2002 Wimbledon final, before winning a bad-tempered fifth set.

The war of words exploded again later that year when Guillermo Coria and Hewitt traded accusations of bad sportsmanship after Argentina won their Davis Cup quarter-final 4-1 in Sydney.

The extraordinary security steps are in marked contrast to previous Davis Cup encounters where Australian players have been exposed to a number of off-putting tactics from the opposition.

In Mexico City in 1982, Mark Edmondson was forced to sit courtside for 10 minutes with a towel over his head as the umpire tried to restore order as the crowd pelted the Australian with objects during a deciding rubber against home favourite Raul Ramirez.

The 1976 Australian Open champion went on to complete a straight-sets victory.

Nine years earlier John Alexander was escorted on to a court in Madras by an armoured vehicle following a terrorist threat to the Australian team.

Hewitt, Australia's most successful Davis Cup player with 28 singles victories, is joined by Mark Philippoussis, Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley in the team.

Chela, Nalbandian, Agustin Calleri and Jose Acasuso will represent Argentina on the clay at the Parque Roca venue. The hosts have not lost a home tie for eight years.

REUTERS AY PM1218