Hewitt surprised by his recovery

It has been a strange few months for Lleyton Hewitt.

After ending last year on a high, winning the Masters Cup and capturing the world No. 1 ranking, the Australian spent the first few weeks of 2002 lying on his sickbed, stricken with chickenpox.

But Hewitt has been on top form since recovering, winning his last eight matches, including Thursday's 6-2, 6-4 third round victory over American Jan-Michael Gambill at the $2.95 million Indian Wells Masters.

"It's a bit of a surprise," said the 21-year-old after earning a place in the quarter-finals of the first Masters Series event of the year.

"If I go back to how I was feeling before the Australian Open (in January), I was feeling pretty ordinary. Lying on the couch, on your bed, in the hotel room because you're a danger to everyone. I've come a long way in the last couple of months."

As soon as he was given the all-clear by his doctors, Hewitt and his coach Jason Stoltenberg began his rehabilitation, working out in the gym to rebuild his strength and clocking up hours on the practice court.

"Trying to get the fitness level back was tough but I felt I was able to do it pretty soon afterwards. It definitely stood me in good stead."

Hewitt is so pleased with his recovery that he may consider taking more time off in the future to allow his body to recover from the rigours of playing week in, week out.

"In some ways it's good when I take that week off," he said. "The break definitely helps in some ways, you know maybe you're a bit tougher towards the sharp end of the tournament."

Hewitt's quarter-final opponent, Swede Thomas Enqvist, will be anxious to prove him wrong.