15 January 2005	Saturday	04 Zilhaj 1425

SYDNEY, Jan 14: Australia's Lleyton Hewitt dug deep to survive an early scare from his 2000 Olympics nemesis Max Mirnyi and stretch his unbeaten run at the Sydney International tennis to 19 matches on Friday.

The three-time champion's superior fitness was a telling factor as world No.48 Mirnyi of Belarus made a strong start only to wilt in searing on-court temperatures of 45 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit).

Hewitt triumphed in the unforgiving conditions to win 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2 after two hours seven minutes and will face little-known 20-year-old Czech qualifier Ivo Minar in Saturday's final.

While others around him were keeling over in the blistering heat, the world No.3 clawed back from dropping the opening set to wear down the much-taller Mirnyi, known in tennis circles as 'The Beast.'

Hewitt's intestinal fortitude was seen at its best on Friday as he refused to use the heat as an excuse for defeat. Hewitt had been apprehensive before meeting his former doubles partner who defeated him on this court at the Sydney Olympics, the only player to have beaten him at Home bush Bay.

His fears were borne out when he dropped a first set tie-break to Mirnyi but Hewitt raced around the sweltering court through to the last point, jogging on the spot with his trademark air punches and cries of "c'mon".

Hewitt now faces Minar, ranked 158, and the conqueror of the tournament's fourth and sixth seeds, Romanian Andrei Pavel and Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, on his way to the final. Minar crushed compatriot Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-2 in the other semi-final.

RESULTS:

MEN'S SINGLES (SEMIFINALS): Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x1) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2; Ivo Minar (CZE) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 6-1, 6-2

WOMEN'S SINGLES (SEMIFINALS): Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Elena Dementieva (RUS x3) forfeit (heat illness); Alicia Molik (AUS x6) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-4, 6-3.

RODDICK IN FINAL

MELBOURNE: World number one Roger Federer showed he was hitting top form at the right time as he demolished Tim Henman 6-4 6-2 at the Kooyong Classic on Friday to set up a mouth watering final with Andy Roddick.

RESULTS: Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Tim Henman (Britain) 6-4 6-2; David Nalbandian (Argentina) bt Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-4 2-1 retired (foot injury); Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) bt Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 6-4 6-4.

ZHENG WINS FIRST TITLE

HOBART: Unseeded Zheng Jie won her first WTA Tour tennis title with a 6-2, 6-0 win over second seed Gisela Dulko in the final of the 110,000 US dollar Tasmanian International tournament on Friday.

GONZALEZ MEETS ROCHUS

WELLINGTON: Olympic doubles champion Fernando Gonzalez beat Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4 6-2 on Friday to reach the final of the Auckland Open. Gonzalez, who teamed up with Nicolas Massu to win gold for Chile in Athens, plays Olivier Rochus in Saturday's final after the Belgian beat Czech Jan Hernych 6-3 6-1. -Agencies