September 30, 2002	Monday	Rajab 22, 1423

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HONG KONG, Sept 29: Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero Sunday overcame compatriot Carlos Moya with a relentless display of power tennis to win the US$400,000 Hong Kong Open.

The Spaniards, who had vowed before the match to put their off-court friendship to one side for the showdown, unloaded a barrage of ferocious groundstroke winners during a two-hour, four-minute battle in front of 2,000 fans at Victoria Park.

However, Ferrero’s unfaltering self-belief and a few moments of timely good fortune were all that separated the evenly matched duo, and a searing ace down the middle finally gave him a deserved 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) win and the US$51,000 winner’s cheque.

Ferrero led 5-2 in career meetings and had looked in ominous form, reaching the Hong Kong final without dropping a set in four games.

Ferrero drew first blood when his fiercely struck backhand clipped the top of the net and looped over Moya’s outstretched racket to hand him the first break, in the seventh game of the first set. He broke again two games later to wrap up the set.

However, it was all Moya in the next as he hurried Ferrero into a string of errors with surprise forays into the net to race away with the second set 6-1.

Roared on by the crowd, Ferrero broke against the run of play in the third game of the final set when Moya speared a backhand inches wide. However, the head-banded Moya hit back immediately in the next as the set entered a nerve-wracking tie-breaker.

Ironically it was two brilliant volleys from baseliner Ferrero which turned the tide decisively, the first a stop-volley followed by a lunging forehand forehand stab that gave him the killer mini-break.

A huge ace down the middle gave him the match and had the usually placid Ferrero pumping his fists with joy.

SERENA WINS CROWN

LEIPZIG (Germany): Top seed and world number one Serena Williams cruised to victory in the US$585,000 Leipzig Open Sunday, hammering sixth-seeded Russian Anastasia Myskina 6-3, 6-2.

Twelve months ago Williams gave this event a wide berth after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the United States and in early rounds she appeared some way off her best form.

Similarly Sunday she allowed Myskina to stay with her for the opening four games before Williams began to find her range and, coupled with her trademark power, she proved far too strong for her rival - even though the Russian saved three match points.

Sunday’s win over the world number 12 was Serena’s 53rd of the season for a mere four defeats - though here she was able to win through for the most part out of top gear, even allowing herself the luxury of a dropped set to German qualifier Anca Barna along the way.

RESULT (FINAL): Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Anastasia Myskina (Rus x6) 6-3, 6-2

SUCCESS FOR RUSSIAN

BALI: Russian teenager Svetlana Kuznetsova won her second WTA title in two months when she overcame Spaniard Conchita Martinez 3-6 7-6 7-5 to win the Wismilak International Sunday.

Italian ATP final

PALERMO, Sicily, Sept 29: Result of the $381,000 ATP event Sunday:

Fernando Gonzalez (Chi x2) bt Jose Acasuso (Arg x3) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.—AFP/Reuters