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Lleyton Hewitt fought to the bitter end at U.S. Open

Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, returns a shot to Bernard Tomic, of Australia, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, returns a shot to Bernard Tomic, of Australia, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

NEW YORK – Clad in yellow and green, they stood on their seats and belted out a song. “Strolling along, singing a song, walking in a Hewitt wonderland,” they sang, slightly changing the words to the famous tune, in a nod to the veteran on court in front of them.

For two sets and 10 games on Thursday, the Grandstand stadium turned into that Hewitt wonderland.

Lleyton Hewitt rallied from two sets down to force a deciding fifth set against fellow Australian Bernard Tomic. The 2001 champion broke No. 24 Tomic at 4-4, earning the opportunity to serve out the win.

These are the kind of matches Hewitt loves most at the U.S. Open, the four- and five-set marathons under the lights. It's where he's thrived in his 15 appearances here. Now 34 years old, Hewitt came to the U.S. Open as a wildcard entry this year. He’d announced that it would be his final U.S. Open. He’ll play the Davis Cup and then retire at the 2016 Australian Open. He’s already started to move on to the next stage of his career, mentoring several of the young Americans, including Nick Kyrgios.

The fans tried everything to propel him, to help him close it out. They sang. They chanted. They silenced each other when it was time for Hewitt to serve. But their wish was not going to be granted.

Hewitt fell apart with a 5-3 lead. He had double-break-match point, but allowed Tomic to break him. Hewitt missed nine of 10 break point opportunities in the set. After three hours, 27 minutes, it was time for him to say goodybe to New York. At least, for singles. He's still playing doubles with Sam Groth, and will be back on the practice courts Friday morning.

"I left it all out there again," Hewitt said later. "I was able to somehow find a way. That's what I've been renowned for in my career. If I can instill a little bit of that especially into the three promising young guys on the way up, you know, with their games and the weapons they have, then that's just another positive for them."

Tomic moves on with the 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 victory.

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Danielle Elliot is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Find her on Twitter and Facebook.