'Only the start': Son of Australian tennis legend forging his own path

There were more than 100 people watching, including a legion of primary school children who were all intently focused on every shot.

Weirder still is that when a 16-year-old - ranked 1176 in the world - won the match 6-3, 6-1, he had two separate post-match media commitments despite having zero ties to the place he was playing in.

And all of that is because his name is synonymous with Australian tennis. His name is Cruz Lleyton Hewitt.

For those unaware - the middle name should provide a big hint - Cruz is the son of two-time grand slam champion and former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

Famous for his rapid rise as a teenage sensation, backwards cap and "come on!" shouts with his fingers aimed at his forehead whenever he won a point, Lleyton Hewitt was polarising in his early years and therefore garnered plenty of attention.

As his career progressed, Lleyton's polarity softened and by the time he played his last-ever Australian Open match in 2016, he was a beloved figure.

So much so, that when Cruz entered qualifying at the AO nine years later, his straight-sets loss to Nikoloz Basilashvili on court three was attended by a packed crowd amid national media attention.

Consistent with the unrelenting nature of professional tennis, Cruz was once again playing in a qualifier on Monday.

This time at the Launceston International, a tournament that many who were at Melbourne Park six weeks ago would have no idea even exists.

And while the Tasmanian crowd was significantly smaller this time around, it was in its own way significant.

His 10am centre court match against Tomislav Edward Papac was watched by at least 95 per cent of all spectators at the tennis centre, all presumably hoping that they can say 'I watched him at my local club for free' in a few years' time when he's competing in a grand slam quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz.

It is a remarkable amount of attention and pressure for a teenager who is an unproven talent at the ATP level.

But if any of that was getting to him, Cruz didn't let it show.

"I've seen a lot of locals come out and support and I just feel all the love and support when I play my matches, I think it really helps me to play better," he told The Examiner.

"Obviously [the attention is] there, but it doesn't really bother me too much.

"I take the positives with it and use the support as much as I can, especially playing these tournaments."

There are many elements to Cruz's game that resembles his father.

His ability to anticipate and cover enormous ground in no time at all is almost nostalgic, and there is a look of determination as he stretches with every fibre of his being to keep the point alive that Roger Federer and Andre Agassi could swear they have seen before.

But there are also differences.

In Launceston, Cruz's cap was facing forwards, there were no guttural "come on!" roars and no pointing to his forehead.

Instead, he was quiet, subtly fist-pumping by his side while looking towards his support crew.

But what stuck out most about Cruz was his genuine and polite character.

"Thank you" was his most common phrase, he was happy to give anyone who approached him all the time in the world, and he held a smile on his face almost constantly - winning as easily as he did usually helps with that.

There was no sense of unearned confidence or insufferable entitlement, he freely admitted that he was keeping expectations steady while in Tasmania.

But there was an inner belief.

"I'm just trying to play my best tennis and keep improving on the things that I set with my coaches," he said.

"Every match is a learning experience, so I'll try and take as much out of it, win or lose, and just keep getting better.

"It's only the start now."

At 16, there are plenty of ways Cruz's tennis career can go, and no doubt Australia will be made privy to it no matter how it goes.

But what is clear is that Lleyton and mum Bec have served an ace at raising their son.