Hewitt to marry soap opera actress

Australian Open runner-up Lleyton Hewitt is to marry actress Bec Cartwright after a whirlwind romance, the couple said in a joint statement on Monday.

Hewitt proposed after losing Sunday's final in Melbourne to Russian Marat Safin, thereby missing his chance to become the first Australian in nearly three decades to win the singles title.

"Lleyton and Bec met five years ago at a Starlight Foundation charity tennis day and rekindled their relationship late last year," the statement said.

"The couple were instantly committed to each other.

"Bec proudly revealed the ring presented to her by Lleyton...to overjoyed family and friends at the post-tennis final celebrations."

Hewitt, 23, had been due to marry Belgian tennis player Kim Clijsters next month but she called the wedding off three months ago following a four-year relationship.

Clijsters lost the women's singles final at the 2004 Australian Open but withdrew from this year's tournament because of injury.

Cartwright was also involved in a long-term relationship before splitting with actor Beau Brady late last year.

The 21-year-old features in "Home and Away", an Australian television soap opera. She was a regular fixture in the Hewitt family supporters box during the Australian Open.

Hewitt publicly thanked her for supporting him after his loss to Safin but there was no indication of his pending proposal.

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Hewitt lost to Safin in a pulsating final in front of a full house including two-times British Open champion Greg Norman and Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush. Nearly five million Australians watched on television.

Hewitt had dedicated his life to winning the Australian Open since his parents Cherilyn and Glynn first drove him from their home in Adelaide to watch the championship as a small child.

He won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon a year later but had never made it past the fourth round in Australia in eight previous attempts.

He sailed into this year's final on a wave of patriotism fuelled by his never-say-die attitude and survived two epic matches on his way to the final only to run out of gas.

"I'm sure in a couple of days I'll look back and think that it has been a great achievement," Hewitt told a news conference.

"I'll have no regrets and I've put absolutely everything into this tournament.

"But right at the moment, I'm human and I'm disappointed."

Hewitt is taking a break after the Open but plans to return for the opening round of the Davis Cup against Austria in the first week of March.