ADELAIDE Germany's Tommy Haas knocked defending champion and top seed Lleyton Hewitt out of the Australian Men's Hardcourt Championship 6-4 0-6 6-1 on Friday.

Hewitt, 19, won the Adelaide title in 1998 and 2000 and had previously lost only one match in his home town in three consecutive tournaments, the 1999 final against Sweden's Thomas Enqvist.

Fifth seed Haas, who won the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, will play Australian Jason Stoltenberg in today's semifinals.

(Reuter)