Tennis star Hewitt, ex-management firm involved in a bitter dispute

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Melbourne, Feb.26 (ANI): Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt is embroiled in a bitter legal fight with his former management company, which has exposed his amazing multi-million dollar endorsements and media deals.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Hewitt has been accused of breaching the Trade Practices Act, reneging on agreements and breaching exclusive contracts.

Hewitt has returned serve with claims against Octagon Inc of misleading and deceptive conduct, unjust enrichment and management incompetence, the Herald Sun reports.

Court documents contain claims that in 2005 and 2006 Hewitt was paid a net total of 6.75 million dollars from endorsements and tournament guarantees.

New Idea magazine paid Hewitt 84,000 dollars, Nike 3.5 million dollars, Yonex racquets 2.3 million dollars and Optus 130,000 dollars, it has been claimed.

He received 330,000 dollars for endorsing tennis games for two video companies.

Tournament organizers in Sydney, Adelaide and at Queen's in London paid him 340,000 dollars just to turn up. In those years his world ranking dropped from two to 20.

The documents reveal that Channel 7 agreed to pay Lleyton Hewitt Management 600,000 dollars from February 2005 to January 2007 for appearances and interviews.

Octagon Inc, a US-based sports management company, has sued Hewitt and LHM in the Victorian Supreme Court claiming it was entitled to a bigger slice of his earnings from 2000 onwards.

Hewitt, 28, and LHM have given Octagon a backhander saying that they severed ties with the company at the end of 2004.

Hewitt has career prize money of 27 million dollars. (ANI)