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LOS ANGELES, Aug 4: South African Wayne Ferreira saved three match points in the deciding set before beating top seed Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 4-6 7-5 to win the $380,000 Mercedes-Benz Cup final on Sunday.
The former world number one from Australia was playing his first tournament since his shock opening-round exit at Wimbledon in June.
Seventh seed Ferreira, 31, a losing semi-finalist in the Australian Open earlier this year, showed the form which helped him beat second seed Sebastien Grosjean and fifth seed Mark Philippoussis in earlier rounds.
The first set went with serve until the eighth game when Ferreira broke Hewitt’s delivery with a spectacular backhand winner. The South African looked shaky as he served for the set but saved a break point and held on.
Hewitt, 22, made a strong start to the second set, breaking serve in the second game but Ferreira immediately broke back.
The Australian, however, finally began to get the upper hand as the set progressed and Ferreira missed two easy forehand volleys in the 10th game to lose his serve.
Ferreira fought back in the final set and had two break points in the seventh game but could not capitalise. He then saved three match points in the 10th game, the first with an ace and the other two with booming forehand winners.
Hewitt appeared shaken, serving two double faults in the next game to lose his serve and give the South African the chance to serve for the match.
Ferreira held his nerve, winning the championship with his 19th ace.
SUCCESS FOR HENMAN
WASHINGTON: Britain’s Tim Henman swept past Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3 6-4 to capture his 10th career singles title at the Washington Classic on Sunday.
Henman, who upset second seed Andy Roddick in the semi-finals, last raised a singles trophy in January 2002 in Adelaide, Australia.
The 28-year-old Briton hit his stride early, breaking Gonzalez in his first two service games and seizing the first set. Henman broke serve again at the beginning of the second set and held on tight for the win.
Gonzalez, who defeated top seed Andre Agassi in the semi-finals, was visibly frustrated during the 97-minute final, twice delayed by summer rainstorms in the U.S. capital.
After failing to break Henman’s serve early in the second set, the Chilean threw his racket to the ground and smashed a ball across the court.
Henman remained calm throughout, seeming to ignore a raucous group of Chilean fans clamouring from the upper level of the open-air stadium. He said afterwards he had worked hard to set the pace of the match.
Henman, who is making a comeback from shoulder surgery last November, had last reached a tournament final at Queen’s Club in London 14 months ago.
He and Gonzalez will meet again on Tuesday in the first round of the Tennis Masters Montreal. Prior to Sunday’s final, Gonzalez had won two of their last three contests.
JUSTINE BEATS CLIJSTERS
CARLSBAD (California): Third seed Justine Henin-Hardenne won the battle of Belgium, beating fellow countrywoman Kim Clijsters 3-6 6-2 6-3 in the final of the $1 million Acura Classic on Sunday.
Eclipsing her taller opponent with a fine display of returning and aggressive play inside the baseline, Henin-Hardenne overcame a shaky start to land her fifth title of the year and her first hardcourt crown on U.S. soil.
Henin-Hardenne went into the contest with a 6-8 career record against Clijsters and had only beaten her once on hard courts in five attempts. But here her beefed-up serve, powerful forehand and endurance shown through.
Clijsters raced into a 4-0 lead in the first set behind a big serve and searing groundstrokes before Henin-Hardenne broke back in the fifth game when her opponent missed a forehand passing shot.
But Clijsters was strong on her own service games and won the set with a vicious crosscourt forehand winner.
Henin-Hardenne took a medical timeout in between sets to treat a blister on her right foot and the minute she took the court for the second set, the tide turned. Clijsters was not pleased.
A refreshed Henin-Hardenne raced ahead in the second set, going 4-0 up by ripping three successive return of serve winners. Clijsters broke in the next game only to see Henin-Hardenne break back again after a double fault.
The pair fought tooth and nail in the third set in exhausting end-to-end rallies until Clijsters netted a forehand to allow Henin-Hardenne to break serve in the eighth game.—Reuters
