NEW YORK - Lleyton Hewitt has delivered a vintage performance to oust 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro and reach the third round of the US Open in New York.
Hewitt continued his excellent summer run with a spirited 6-4 5-7 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 victory over the sixth seed and has a golden opportunity to venture even deeper in the grand slam draw.
Champion in 2001 and contesting his 13th US Open, Hewitt will play little-known Russian Evgeny Donsky on Sunday for a spot in the last 16 after producing the biggest first-week shock of the tournament.
Del Potro, champion at Flushing Meadows in 2009, was hopeful of adding a second title to his collection after losing the longest Wimbledon match in history to world No.1 Novak Djokovic in his most recent grand slam tilt.
Hewitt, though, had other ideas and dragged the big Argentine out of his comfort zone with some crafty baseline tennis.
Defending champion Andy Murray advanced with a four-set victory over Argentina's Leonardo Mayer, while top seed Novak Djokovic survived an early wobble to defeat Germany's Benjamin Becker in straight sets.