Tenth-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and 11th-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco were both upset in the first round.
Hewitt came from behind to knock off French Open runner-up Robin Soderling of Sweden 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4. Hewitt reached the finals in Cincinnati in 2002 and 2004.
Czech Tomas Berdych beat Gonzalez 6-4, retired, and Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat countryman Verdasco 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4).
Russian Mikhail Youzhny defeated Romanian Victor Hanescu 7-5, 6-2 and Austrian Jurgen Melzer beat Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (9-7).
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.