End of road for Hewitt ...

Fernando Gonzalez beat 19th seed Lleyton Hewitt 6-2 6-2 5-7 6-4 to end home hopes in the Australian Open.

Hewitt's exit means there will be no Australians in the fourth round for the first time since 2002.

Gonzalez, the 10th seed, made just two unforced errors as he swept into a two-set lead.

Hewitt recovered to take the third but quickly fell a break behind in the fourth and, despite saving three match points, could not respond again.

Before Hewitt took to the Rod Laver Arena, Alicia Molik, the last remaining Australian female in the tournament, was dumped out 3-6 6-2 6-0 by Patty Schnyder.

Hewitt had not enjoyed the best build-up to his home tournament, splitting with his coach Roger Rasheed and picking up a calf injury.

And he could find no answer to Gonzalez's combination of powerful hitting and delicate touches.

"If he's playing like that it's a matter of trying to weather the storm, there's not a whole lot you can do," said Hewitt, runner-up to Marat Safin in 2005.

"It's always hard to get your nose back in front, I was able to turn it around, but it's always going to be a tough ask.

"If I got into the fifth set I would have fancied my chances."

Gonzalez now faces fifth seed James Blake for a place in the quarter-finals.

"I don't remember if I have played a better tennis match because I played unbelievable for the first two sets and I was doing whatever I wanted with the ball," Gonzalez said.