AFP
Brisbane, Australia, June 17

Lleyton Hewitt is still improving and is the man to beat at Wimbledon later this month, his compatriot and former Davis Cup teammate Pat Rafter said on Monday.

With seven-time winner Pete Sampras out of form and last year's champion Goran Ivanisevic out of the running, Rafter believes fellow Australian Hewitt, the US Open champion, has a great chance to lift the All England Club title for the first time.

"I still don't think he's reached his peak yet," Rafter told reporters.

"I've been watching some of his tennis and I've seen him play better, but he's won not playing 100 per cent which is encouraging for Wimbledon."

Rafter said Hewitt's confidence would have been lifted by his victory in the Queen's Club tournament in London at the weekend, in which he beat Tim Henman in the final.

"The sight of Lleyton doing well at Queen's is very encouraging," he said.

"He struggled a bit at the French Open but I've always thought Wimbledon would be his tournament. I'm looking forward to seeing him do well there."

Rafter, twice beaten as a Wimbledon finalist, said he was enjoying his current semi-retirement.

"I haven't really had the competitive juices flowing at all," he said.