Hewitt may have got it right on Commonwealth chaos

9/22/10 2:51 PM | Johan Lindahl
Lleyton Hewitt may have had a premonition that all would not be well when he withdrew from consideration months ago for the Australian team at the Commonwealth Games.

Now, the former world No. 1 is looking like a mind-reader with organization of the event starting in little more than a week in New Delhi sinking in chaos.

Besides huge security concerns, there are also pressing logistical issues – not to mention a pedestrian bridge which collapsed and injured more than 20 at the ill-starred Games site. Officials are even voicing concern that the event may have to be canceled or delayed.

Among other problems – not only unique to tennis players – athletes are due to arrive within days and only half of the tower blocks which will serve as their temporary homes are completed.

The signs could point to an aborted debut for tennis at the event, where noted British Commonwealth players like Hewitt and Andy Murray are giving the competition a wide berth and sticking to their original ATP schedules for 2010. Hewitt would not have been able to play in any case after injuring his hand in weekend Davis Cup play and now set to miss the next three weeks.

Games bosses have made a plea to the Indian government to step in and remedy the situation with hours passing quickly until the October 3 start. The tennis event runs from October 4-10.

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