Super-coach Tony Roche says Lleyton Hewitt will be primed to give the Australian Open a "real shake" next month and 2008 could be a "real big year for him".

Roche has been working with Hewitt to add variety and aggression to his game in the tour off-season and made it clear that nothing was being left to chance in terms of fitness and sheer hard work.

"He's doing a lot of training off court and doing three hours a day on court, so the first part of the preparation has gone very well," said Roche.

"There's no question that he's going to be so fit that the five set matches in the heat are not going to be a problem, it's just now getting the matches under his belt in (the) Adelaide and Sydney (tournaments), and I think if he can do that then he'll be a real threat."

Roche linked with Hewitt in July after world No.1 Roger Federer ended his successful union with the Australian who also previously guided former No.1 Ivan Lendl.

While Hewitt has slipped to his worst year-end ranking (No.21) since setting out on the tour, Roche had no doubt the former No.1 can be a major contender again.

"Yes most definitely. From what I've seen, last year there were glimpses, and I just think this year you know, 2008, could be a real big year for him," said Roche, who spent an hour on court in Melbourne on Sunday with the Australian team who won the world junior team title in August.

To get back to the sort of standing he had in 2001 and 2002 when he was the world's best he said Hewitt recognised the need to adjust his game.

"Whereas when he was dominating, that was a certain way the players played, now you've got (Rafael) Nadal and Federer playing a different type of tennis," said Roche.

"I know Lleyton feels very confident he can match it with those guys."

The changes would make his relentless baseline game less predicable.

"He's not going to go away from his strengths, but I think it's important for him to add a little bit of variation to his game and be a little bit more aggressive, look to finish the points and utilise a few other areas of his game," said Roche.

Roche believed Hewitt could give local fans plenty to cheer about in the last two weeks of January.

"It's something that means a lot to him, and he's already got a Wimbledon and a US, so he wants to win his own Australian Open.

"It's been too long since we've had a winner here, and I'm sure the public are going to get behind him and he'll give it a real shake."

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