SYDNEY - FORMER world No.1 Leyton Hewitt will make his comeback from hip surgery at the Sydney International tennis tournament in January ahead of the Australian Open.

Hewitt said his recuperation from an operation after the Beijing Olympics was progressing well.

'My recovery is going well and I am really looking forward to the Australian summer,' he said in a statement on Tuesday.

'It is an exciting time for me. I am already feeling refreshed, reinvigorated and excited about the challenge ahead.'

Hewitt has won the Sydney title on four occasions, most recently in 2005.

'Sydney is a happy hunting ground for me,' he said.

'Some good hard matches in Sydney will certainly help me in my preparation for the 2009 Australian Open.' -- AP