Hewitt to play despite pain

Former World Number one Lleyton Hewitt says that he is at “100 percent” ahead of the 2012 Australian Open, the first grand slam event of the year, despite a toe injury that threatened to ruin his campaign.

“It is one of the worst toe’s that I have seen” an Australian based surgeon said after reviewing the toe on the former champion’s foot.

After spending four months of the 2011 season on the sideline due to a second bout of hip surgery, and a knee operation that saw him slip to a world ranking of 186.

Hewitt returned from injury to notch a victory over Roger Federer on grass in the Halle final however had not played since Australia’s Davis Cup loss to Switzerland in September.

The former champion had hoped to enter the Australian Open, his sixteenth consecutive appearance at his home Grand Slam event, injury free.

However a training mishap forced the toe injury which has surprised an Australian based specialist that the former world number one is even walking on the toe yet alone preparing to take part in the Hopman Cup in Perth and the opening Grand Slam event of the year.

Hewitt’s plan is to stage one of his remarkable runs at his home event without the assistance of pain killers for his toe which upset his stomach.

he 30-year-old’s show of grit is no surprise to his vastly experienced coach Tony Roche.

“Look, he’d be the toughest competitor that I’ve seen,” Roche told AAP earlier this year.

“He’s had a lot of setbacks the last couple of years but he keeps bouncing back.”