World number one Lleyton Hewitt will be fit for the Australian Open despite being sidelined by chicken pox just days before the first grand slam of the year, his manager said today.
Hewitt tested positive for the virus on Thursday, forcing him out of the Hopman Cup. But it could turn out to be a "blessing in disguise", John McCurdy said.
Hewitt has been resting in his hotel room at the Burswood Resort in Western Australia after contracting the virus.
He is due to be top seed at Melbourne Park from January 14th 27th and is hoping to be the first Australian man to win his home grand slam since Mark Edmonson in 1976.
Hewitt has been told to rest for at least five days before resuming training -which could leave him woefully short of match practice before the Open.
However McCurdy said he was confident his man would be ready. "Obviously getting a positive test yesterday meant that he couldn't go on in the Hopman Cup, but his whole focus is the Open," McCurdy said.
"They'll adopt a positive attitude him and Stolts [coach Jason Stoltenberg] to make this work for them and turn it into a positive situation".