Lleyton Hewitt used every ounce of his fighting spirit to hold off an equally courageous Roger Federer in a pulsating Masters Cup semifinal yesterday in Shanghai.
The Australian baseliner and world number one emerged a 7-5, 5-7, 7-5 victor over his Swiss opponent after nearly three hours of battle in front of 9,000 screaming fans at Shanghai's New International Expo Center.
Hewitt will meet Spanish dynamo Juan Carlos Ferrero, who defeated countryman Carlos Moya 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4 in the earlier match yesterday in a baseline slugfest that was almost as exciting.
Hewitt's sheer will to win was the critical factor and eventually proved more powerful than Federer's big serve-and-volley game, with his never-say-die attitude helping him save 17 break points, most of them at crucial stages throughout the match.
But Federer, who at 21 is six months younger than Hewitt, proved nearly as brave, as he fought off three match points in the second and third sets before finally succumbing to the relentless pressure.
In the first set, Hewitt staved off five set points, most with courageous winners from the baseline.
He was then forced to fend off five break points while serving for the set at 6-5. Finally, after exactly one hour, Federer hit a forehand long for Hewitt to take the set 7-5.
In the second set, it was Federer's turn to prove his fighting qualities, coming back from a break down twice and saving one match point on Hewitt's serve at 4-5.Federer fought back to lead 6-5 and finally broke Hewitt's serve on his fourth break point to take the set.
The third set was even more more exciting, with Federer coming back from a break down twice and saving two more match points.
But by then the young Swiss gun had fired all his ammunition and he finally surrendered with a forehand long on Hewitt's fourth match point.
The Chinese crowd, who were witnessing the biggest tennis tournament to ever be held in the country, responded to the enthralling encounter with enthusiasm almost as intense as the effort showed by the players.
At one stage in the second set, Federer was forced to block his ears with his fingers as the crowd roared their delight.
It was the perfect atmosphere for Hewitt, who thrives on the cauldron-like atmospheres of Davis Cup ties and Grand Slam finals.
In the earlier match, Ferrero stormed into his first Masters Cup final with a typically dogged tussle against Moya.
Ferrero, who will finish in the world's top five for the second consecutive year, proved too consistent from the baseline.
The man nicknamed the "Mosquito" for his tenacity from the back of the court took the semifinal with a rare foray into the net on his first match point, hitting a delicate drop volley winner that brought Moya to his knees.
Ferrero could climb to a career high world ranking of number three if he win's today's final against Hewitt, who this week claimed his second consecutive year-ending number one ranking.
Moya, who had gone into the semifinal undefeated after three round robin victories over Hewitt, number three Marat Safin and countryman Albert Costa, took the first set with an ace at 6-7 in the tie breaker.
More than US$3.7 million is on offer at the season-ending Masters Cup. Ferrero and Hewitt get US$370,000 each for their semifinal victories, with another US$700,000 on offer for the winner of the final.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
RSS