SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt was devastated by his break-up with Belgian fiancee Kim Clijsters.
Clijsters announced through her web-site Friday that she and Hewitt had broken off their relationship just four months from their marriage next February.
Former world number one Hewitt had been holidaying in Australia after withdrawing from last week's Madrid Masters tennis tournament citing personal reasons, but it was reported in the early editions of The Sunday Telegraph that he had flown to France.
The newspaper described Hewitt as devastated and said he was flying to Paris, where he is to play in the Masters tennis tournament starting on November 1.
The Sunday Telegraph said Hewitt had been called by Clijsters on Thursday to tell him that the relationship was over, Australia's Wimbledon champion telling friends that he was "completely floored" by the news.
"He's angry, embarrassed, devastated, distraught -- all of that stuff," a friend told the newspaper.
"He's been kicked in the guts and he's been kicked in the guts internationally and embarrassingly.
"He had a few signs but when it came, it came as a huge shock."
Reports from Belgium had reported that the former women's world number one had cancelled her wedding dress weeks ago.
Hewitt's grandfather Max Hewitt said in Adelaide that he was shocked when told of the news on Friday.
"It's a big surprise," he said. "We're trying to find out what happened: we have no idea what went wrong."
Clijsters' father Leo told reporters in Belgium he would not comment on the break-up of the pair who first met at the 2000 Australian Open in Melbourne.
There have been reported rumours which suggested some internal strife between the Clijsters and Hewitt mothers over the location of the February wedding.
Last month, Clijsters, 21, said she would marry Hewitt in Australia in February.
"Kim and Lleyton have agreed to end their relationship for private reasons. There is, of course, no longer a question of marriage," her web-site said.
The players said in the announcement that they did not intend to explain the break-up to the media.
10/23/2004 - 12:34 GMT - AFP