Lleyton Hewitt withdraws from Kooyong Classic

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Hewitt endured a hectic week at the Brisbane International as he played five matches that culminated in his first title since 2010 with a stunning three-set victory over Roger Federer on Sunday.

With plenty of match practice already under his belt, the former world number one has erred on the side of caution and opted against defending his title at Kooyong.

"At the moment it's just all about recovery for me," Hewitt told a press conference at Kooyong on Tuesday.

"When you get older it gets a bit tougher than when you were 16.

"Saturday and Sunday, (there were) brutal conditions up in Brisbane, very little breeze whatsoever, very hot and humid in Pat Rafter Arena.

"We're going into the first major and you've got to do what's absolutely right for you."

The 32-year-old will play just one exhibition match against world number three Andy Murray on Friday.

He said he had not sustained a fresh injury and was confident he would be in peak condition for the Open.

"It's been a dream since I was eight, nine years old," Hewitt said.

"For me to still be out there competing, this is my 18th Australian Open in a row, so I'm thrilled just to be out there."

His place in the eight-man field has been taken by compatriot Jordan Thompson.

The Kooyong field is still strong, with the other seven players all ranked inside the world top 30.

Czech world number seven Tomas Berdych is the top seed.

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