Lleyton Hewitt proved far too much for Argentine Jose Acasuso as the Australian top seed swept into the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International at Memorial Drive.

Snatching 16 of the first 19 points of the match for a 4-0 first set lead, Hewitt was barely troubled in winning 6-2 6-2 in 61 minutes, his sharpness and aggression far too much for Acasuso, a talented player who was never able to find the required rhythm.

There was one anti-climactic double fault on his first match point, but overall Hewitt was impressively focused on the goal of winning his home tournament in its final instalment before relocating to Brisbane.

Much has been made of the technical and tactical adjustments brought to Hewitt by the keen eye of his new coach Tony Roche, and it is clear the mentor for a fleet of top players, including Patrick Rafter and Roger Federer, has brought subtle but significant improvements.

Chief among these was Hewitt's consistent effort to work the corners, hardly ever reverting to the sort of defensive, middle-of-the-court groundstroke that had become too much of a habit in the five barren years since he won Wimbledon in 2002, the second and last of his two Grand Slam titles.

The result will also be of particular satisfaction for Hewitt considering the painful memories of his one prior defeat to Acasuso.

Regardless of what happened, Acasuso will always be able to point proudly to a rare feat among modern players - defeating Hewitt in a Davis Cup rubber.

In the 2006 cup semi-final tie in Buenos Aires, Acasuso's 1-6 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-1 triumph from two sets to one down on the first day was the definitive nail in Australia's clay court coffin, as Argentina rolled to a 5-0 drubbing.

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