November 16, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 10, 1423

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SHANGHAI, Nov 15: The good news kept on rolling for world number one Lleyton Hewitt Friday as he advanced into the semifinals of the $3.75m Masters Cup without having to hit a ball, while Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero booked the last spot by more conventional means.

Spaniard Carlos Moya defeated his countryman Albert Costa 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-4, giving Hewitt a spot in the semifinals and a chance to pocket more than $1m to help him celebrate claiming the world’s top ranking for 2002 this week.

Ferrero, the tournament fourth seed, took the last spot with a convincing 7-5, 6-3 win over the Czech Republic’s Jiri Novak at Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre.

In Saturday’s semifinals, Hewitt and Federer, both aged 21, will slug it out in a battle of the sport’s best young guns while Moya will take on Ferrero in an all Spanish duel.

A bouyant Hewitt will go into his semifinal with the added confidence of a 5-2 career win-loss record against Federer, including a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the quarterfinals at Paris at the beginning of this month.

However, the Swiss serve-and-volley specialist has been in brilliant form this week and cruised through his initial round robin matches without losing a set against Ferrero and Novak.

Ferrero holds a similarly dominant 6-2 career record over Moya, including a 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory in the final of the Hong Kong Open in their most recent encounter.

Moya, who was already assured of a place in the weekend action with wins over Hewitt and Marat Safin, seemed to suffer a let down against Costa.

He only prevailed by breaking in the last game of the match, shortly after Costa had to seek medical treatment for a muscle strain in the lower back that severely hampered his movement. Moya’s win keeps his hopes alive of going through the tournament undefeated, which would lift him to a year-ending ranking of number three, behind Hewitt and Andre Agassi.

Hewitt, who was crowned number one in the world for the second year in a row on Thursday here, enjoyed a day off on Friday while Moya and Costa battled it out for nearly three hours.

Moya had pledged before the match to give 100 percent after the scenario was raised that a loss would allow Costa into the semi-finals and eliminate Hewitt from the tournament, and he confirmed afterwards he had given his all despite the sluggish performance.

For Hewitt, the Moya-Costa result gave him the opportunity of further confirming his status as the best player in the game.

He has some unfinished business after losing in straight sets to Moya earlier in the week, taking his career record against the Spaniard to a dismal 2-5.

Hewitt gave an early warning to his rivals on Friday that his trademark intensity and determination would be burning as strong as ever if he made it into the semifinals.

Hewitt was speaking in an early morning press conference after Agassi’s loss to Ferrero on Thursday night ensured the Australian baseliner would finish the year at number one.

Agassi, 32, had to win the tournament to have a chance of overtaking Hewitt, but his 5-7, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8) defeat meant he would not be able to qualify for the semi-finals. Agassi later withdrew from the tournament citing a hip injury.

Masters Cup results

Red Group: Carlos Moya (Spa) bt Albert Costa (Spa) 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-4

Gold Group: Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spa) bt Jiri Novak (Cze) 7-5, 6-3—AFP