Former tennis ace Bob Hewitt's old age is at the crux of his sentence appeal‚ according to his legal counsel. Advocate Johann Engelbrecht‚ for Hewitt‚ on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to consider the effects incarceration would have on the 76 year old's health and lower his effective six-year prison sentence.Australian-born Hewitt is asking the SCA to reduce his sentence which Judge Bert Bam handed down in the North Gauteng High Court in May last year. The SCA rejected his bid to appeal his conviction.Bam also ordered Hewitt to pay R100 000 to the justice department to be used in initiatives to curb violence against women and children.Engelbrecht said that Bam's attitude had prejudiced Hewitt during sentencing proceedings when he held that Hewitt could only submit pre-sentencing reports at his discretion.But Judge Mandisa Maya did not agree‚ saying it was the defence that chose not to lead the evidence of a criminologist in sentencing proceedings.Judge Zukisa Tshiqi said that Bam did consider Hewitt's old age as a mitigating factor when he gave his sentence.Maya said: "You must not overlook that the trial court could have imposed life imprisonment [on Hewitt for the rape of a minor].”Hewitt was found guilty in March last year of raping Theresa “Twiggy” Tolken and Suellen Sheehan and of sexually assaulting a third woman‚ who cannot be named‚ when they were his minor tennis students in the 1980s and 1990s.Bam gave Hewitt leave to appeal his sentence but denied him the same for his conviction.Hewitt‚ who is out on bail of R10 000 pending the outcome of his appeal‚ is not present in court.Maya and Tshiqi are on the bench with Judge Willie Seriti.The hearing continues. ..