The son of Lleyton Hewitt – Cruz – has been given a tough draw in Australian Open qualifying against a former world no.16.

Hewitt, 16, will take on Georgian veteran Nikolaz Basilashvili in the first round of qualifying at Melbourne Park on Tuesday at a time to be confirmed.

The 32 year-old opponent of Hewitt is currently ranked 208 in the world after struggling with injuries since 2022.

Basilashvili was one of the world’s best players when he reached the top 20 players during the 2019 season.

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He has won five ATP titles, including three ATP 500 wins at the German Open, China Open and European Open.

The Georgia no.1 also reached a Masters 1000 final at Indian Wells in 2021, where he was defeated by Cameron Norrie in three sets.

Basilashvili has reached the fourth round of the US Open (2018) and the third round of the other three majors.

Cruz Hewitt’s chances of winning against Basilashvili

It’s hard to get a gauge on Hewitt’s form against seasoned professionals with his exposed form being limited.

The teenager recently lost in straight sets 7-6(9) 6-1 to world no.198 Brandon Holt at the Canberra Challenger in late December, but did have three sets points in the tiebreak.

In November, Hewitt also lost in straight sets to fellow Aussie talent Hayden Jones, who will also be attempting to qualify for the Australian Open via a wildcard.

This form suggests Hewitt could struggle against a veteran player literally double his age.

In Hewitt’s favour is that Basilashvili hasn’t played a competitive match since November last year in Yokohama.