CANBERRA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Former world's No. 1 tennis player Lleyton Hewitt has appointed one-time team-mate Scott Draper as his coach for the upcoming Australian Open.

    Hewitt's manager Justin Cohen confirmed in a statement on Monday that Draper will play a "coaching and support role" through the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne next week.

    Hewitt's former coach Roger Rasheed resigned last Friday after three-and-a-half years.

    Rasheed had had a fierce dispute with Hewitt after a loss to Russia's world no. 94 Igor Kunitsyn at Adelaide International last Thursday.

    Draper, 32, has been a tennis professional for more than a decade. He won the 2005 Australian Open mixed doubles title with Samantha Stosur.