Sunday, January 30, 2005
www.australianopen.com
Excerpt from interview
Q. You played Lleyton 10 times before. Has he ever retrieved as well as he did tonight? He was running all over town to get balls.
MARAT SAFIN: He was there. He was there. He was running. But to be honest, I think he little bit run out of gas today. At the end, you know, he saw his opportunity, but then something went when I got the break in the third set, he just something happened inside of him that he didn't believe anymore that he can win that match, and he start to miss. I really felt that he's not as fast as he could be.
Just he couldn't you feeling these things, you know. Like when you play against him, he's just everywhere. And today he was missing the extra step that normally he makes with the passing shots, with everything, anticipation, all these things, with the lobs, just everything, just an extra step. I could feel it.
And then the fourth set, I think he just he couldn't he couldn't handle it, I think.
Q. When he double faulted to end the third set, was that a beautiful sight?
MARAT SAFIN: Just I was praying for that (smiling). I was praying. I was praying because I really needed that point. I needed a present. I need a present, because otherwise, you know, like it's too much. It was such a relief for me. It was, yeah, just great present and right time.
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By Greg Baum
At The Open
The Age
January 31, 2005
Lleyton Hewitt gave it his best and worst, but it was not enough to beat Marat Safin, one of the few who is his peer in matters of brilliance and darkness. Two sets of demons met, those Hewitt had been fighting bravely all tournament long and those Safin harboured from defeats in two previous finals here. Safin exorcised his, but Hewitt could not conquer his, and so was a championship won.
Safin had done it hard in his epic semi-final victory over Roger Federer, but Hewitt had done it hard for the whole fortnight. This was a bridge and a battle too far. In another time, or in other circumstances, Hewitt's ways might have got under Safin's skin. Last night, it was Hewitt's skin - fatigue, expectation, exasperation - that itched and could not be scratched.
Upon winning, Safin made no more an extravagant gesture than to clench his fist, for he understood what this occasion meant to Hewitt and to Australia, and was not about to flaunt his triumph. He will be all the more loved for it. "Too good, too good," Hewitt said to him at the net.
The story is simply told. Hewitt was rampant at the start of the match, Safin at the end. The axis was the beginning of the third set when the contest escalated in every facet; in every aspect.
Hewitt saved three break points in the first game, each accompanied an increasingly louder exclamation of "c'mon". Safin saved a break point in the second game when the umpire overruled a linesman, provoking a tirade from Hewitt.
But Safin lost his serving anyway, whereupon he dashed his racquet into the court and Hewitt roared. It could fairly be said that there was a racquet on the court at one end and a racket at the other. Safin had words with umpire Carlos Ramos, but sensibly, they were in Spanish.
In the seventh game, Hewitt was called for a foot fault when serving at break point. Serving again, he won the point after an epic rally, whereupon he rounded on the linesman, pointing and howling, for which display he was charged with a code violation by the umpire. Here were all the hallmarks of the Hewitt game condensed into a moment.
It was an alchemy that had worked for him before in this tournament, but did not now when he needed it most. The growing commotion masked a fundamental development in the game: Safin's serve had come on strong, Hewitt's had weakened and with it his control of the game. Safin won seven games in a row to seize control of the match. As long as he did not lose his nerve, he could not lose the title. He did not.
It was a night to remember; a night hard to forget. Classics can no more be scheduled than thunderstorms, and are less easily forecast.
Moving like a master now and it was Hewitt who was nonplussed. The crowd in Rod Laver Arena had been hushed in the first set, expecting more of a contest, and now was hushed again, longing for a contest. Safin had managed just two aces in the first two sets, but served nine in this set alone.
Hewitt won the first set by keeping the ball in play in the way of Andre Agassi. It was a simple plan, but subtle, too. He was the smaller man with the seemingly lesser game, but, by making Safin play one ball after another, he established himself as the aggressor.
Safin won only 11 points in the first set, which slipped by in just 23 minutes. It seemed then that this year's Open would be a repeat of last for Safin, in which an epic semi-final victory sapped him and left him flat in the final. For Hewitt, it seemed the final would be a counterpoint to the rest of the tournament. After a fortnight of fighting and conquering all sorts of devils, here was a day and a match with none at all, least of all on the other side of the net.
But Safin had shown in his semi-final that he is not so easily vanquished, and Hewitt had demonstrated throughout the tournament that he does not so easily conquer. In the second set, Safin found his rhythm and Hewitt lost a little of his. One break of serve was enough.
Thereafter the game ran away from Hewitt. His game collapsed, Safin's flourished, and the Russian's game at his best is always worth watching. Hewitt looked into his box, but perhaps saw only Greg Norman, a great player but unlucky in the big moments.
In a sense, this completed the 30-year remaking of the Australian Open. From the time of Edmondson's win in 1976, the tournament declined. Isolation, cramped facilities at Kooyong, and a diminishing preference for grass imperilled its future. The opening of Flinders Park in 1988 was the start of the rehabilitation. Pat Cash lost narrowly to Mats Wilander in that final, but no Australian had played for the title since until last night. A trail was blazed, but only last night can it be said to have been trodden to its end.
Small wonder chief executive Paul McNamee dared to think that this might have been not just exceptional, but unlikely to be repeated. For the sixth year in a row, more than 500,000 came. On one day, more came than ever before at any major tournament. The remaking of the Open is a fait accompli.
The Centenary Open will be remembered best for the death-defying adventures of Hewitt and the rousing run of Alicia Molik, for any sporting event must be more cherished for the success of local stars.
But it will also be remembered for a series of epic matches. Both semi-finals and the women's final went to three sets, and all were won from behind. Safin's conquest of Roger Federer in the first men's semi-final after saving match point and then holding his nerve while losing five match points of his own was the stuff of instant legend.
For suspense, it was matched by Hewitt's quarter-final victory over David Nalbandian.
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[Normally Patrick Smith’s articles are objectionable because of the way he refers to “Little Lleyton” – Smith seems to have a chip on his shoulder (he even referred to this great tournament as the Little Lleyton Open when writing about womens' matches) – the point he makes here is interesting, though, about Lleyton's competitiveness having raised the bar and being the standard that all are compared to.]
What makes Lleyton grate makes him great
Patrick Smith
The Australian
January 31, 2005
THIS wonderful tournament has been about fightbacks. About rallies and rallying points. About defying the odds, of men and women at odds with officials and the media. Of an odds-on favourite falling.
Mostly, though, the Little Lleyton Open has been about the man himself, for he has been the centre of all that has whirled about these past two weeks at Melbourne Park.
As victim after victim fell at his feet, his personality has been analysed more than his game. It matters not for they are one and the same. Relentless, aggressive, loud, abrasive and grisly yet with some light and shade. A serve has been muscled up, but he can flick a top-spin lob to a millimetre from where he intended it to touch down. After matches he has displayed a humour that had previously been buckled up.
His family is devoted to him, he is devoted to his nation, the nation divided about him. Half see him as a hero who cheers the heart, the rest see a man who rasps the nerves. We have been reminded that Andre Agassi was once a brat and now he is a sage. That is true, but we should also have been reminded of John McEnroe. He remained a tennis brat at 35.
No Australian has been in his national final since 1988, not one man has won the title since 1976. The expectation has been carried lightly and enthusiastically by Little Lleyton. After all, it has been his life-long crusade since he was the Littlest of Lleytons.
His march through the tournament has been tortured. Only the first round came easily. He beat up Frenchman Arnaud Clement as routinely as he had beaten him in two previous meetings this summer.
He took four sets to beat James Blake, an American with whom he has a black history. Not for the first time he got under Blake's skin and the American retaliated by mimicking the Australian's trademark but childish exhortations.
He conceded a set to Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela, who did not spit the dummy but did spit at Hewitt, offended that Hewitt rejoiced in his opponent's misfortune. Chela is a fool. Against Spain's Rafael Nadal we first became aware that Little Lleyton had received a slight hip injury in the Sydney warm-up tournament. He was down two sets to one and required treatment for his injury. Inexorably he won the fifth set 6-2.
In the quarter-final against David Nalbandian, a player who before the match indicated he found Hewitt's on-court demeanour offensive, he won 10-8 in the fifth. Close but nonetheless inevitable. There was a slight altercation between the players when they changed ends. Forever the tension teeters.
In the semi-final he defended a serving onslaught from Andy Roddick. When the American found he could not blast the Australian off the court, he all but gave up. There was no subtlety nor substance left to his game.
So in the end everybody's game was judged not on Roger Federer, the No.1 player in the world who lost to Marat Safin, but to that of Little Lleyton.
The standard of competitiveness was set by Hewitt. So Conchita Martinez was criticised for her disgraceful insipidness. Roddick was considered mentally weak. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were warriors because they would not concede in their three-set semi-final that astonished everyone for its bravery. Mad Marat had truly reformed.
So we come to Lindsay Davenport, the tall American who is the most pleasant, sensible woman on the tour. So nice that she chided one of her entourage after a security guard asked to check her credentials. "Don't worry, he is only doing his job," Davenport told her supporter.
Both Williams and Davenport were injured going into the final. Williams hurt again early in the match. Strangely she did not seek treatment immediately but played on until she lost the first four games. At 1-4 she called for medical assistance.
True, these can be difficult moments. Davenport could subconsciously think she has the match won. She relaxes, not deliberately but uncontrollably. In the second set she was up 40-0 on serve and set to level at 4-all. She lost that game after two double faults and sloppy attempted winners were struck wide. She did not win another game for the final.
She rushed through the final set, shoulders slumped like a dog refusing a walk, and the Grand Slam belonged to Williams in just another 20 minutes.
It was the performance of a person who did not believe in her own ability, did not look deep inside herself to find the resistance to halt the Williams counter attack. Afterwards she was, as always, gracious, but she smiled and joked. There appeared no anguish, no sense of what might have been. No grieving for a lost Grand Slam.
Little Lleyton berates himself if he loses a point in a warm-up. So the result was a Grand Slam final that was flat and without fight in a tournament made remarkable by them. It was hard for Serena to celebrate, hard for the crowd to clap for they had witnessed a capitulation by a former champion in a tournament that celebrated fightbacks.
That is all due to Little Lleyton. This has been his tournament in serve and spirit.
At a time when tennis has never been so competitive, when talent is so deep and spread so wide that the men's semi-finalists came from Switzerland, America, Australia and Russia and were ranked one, two three, four in the world, Little Lleyton is one of this nation's greatest tennis players.
Time yet to see if he will mature into one of our greatest sportsmen.
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Sun Jan 30, 2005 02:50 PM GMT
By Julian Linden
MELBOURNE, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Stricken by nerves and self-doubt, Marat Safin's belief returned in the nick of time on Sunday as the Russian beat Lleyton Hewitt 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 to win the centenary Australian Open.
Safin had been convinced he would lose the match after dropping the opening set and trailing 4-1 in the third when his luck suddenly turned around.
He reeled off five games in a row to take a two sets-to-one lead then broke Hewitt at the start of the fourth set and never looked back.
"This is a huge relief for me, because I didn't believe I could win," Safin said.
"I've already lost two finals here before and I started to doubt myself. I thought it was going to happen again."
Safin didn't know it at the time, but Hewitt was battling his own demons even though he was leading the match.
The Australian had made it through to his first Melbourne final the hard way, surviving two gruelling five set matches against Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian but the effort had taken its toll.
NATIONAL PATRIOTISM
He sailed into the final on a wave of national patriotism fuelled by a never-say-die attitude but he couldn't muster the energy for one last fight when things started going wrong.
"Even when I was a set up, at no stage did I start thinking that this is just going to carry along," Hewitt said.
"His game really picked up. Once he got the momentum back he stepped it up again to another notch.
"I didn't feel like I played that badly out there, he was just too good."
There was no mistaking Hewitt's disappointment. He won the U.S. Open in 2001 and Wimbledon a year later but the Australian Open was the title he craved the most.
Hewitt wasn't even born when Mark Edmondson -- the last Australian to win the championship -- beat John Newcombe in the 1976 final but he did see Pat Cash make the final in 1988.
He decided then, aged just seven, to dedicate his life to going one step further than his childhood hero only to come up short.
"I'm sure in a couple of days I'll look back and think it's been a great achievement," he said.
"I'll have no regrets, and I've put absolutely everything into this tournament.
"I'll be able to walk out with my head held high that I've given everything. But right at the moment, I'm human and I'm disappointed."
SINGLE BREAK
Safin stunned Pete Sampras to win the 2000 U.S. Open but hadn't won a grand slam since.
He lost to Thomas Johansson in the 2002 final, then was beaten by Roger Federer in last year's final when he was too exhausted to play his best after two epic semi-finals.
"It's a psychological thing," he said.
"I have to forget about the final in 2000 because everything came so easy. I've lost two finals since then and I couldn't see myself winning the grand slams anymore.
"I also lost two semi-finals because I just couldn't handle the pressure. You need to believe in yourself, and I didn't.
"So today was a great relief for me. You can win one grand slam by mistake but not two. Now I think I can win a couple more."
Safin went into the final as favourite after his heart-stopping semi-final win over the seemingly invincible Federer but he couldn't have made a worse start, conceding the opening set after just 23 minutes.
He won the second set with a single break of serve then slipped 4-1 behind in the third after controversially losing his service then calling for a trainer at the change of ends to massage his thighs.
Just when all seemed lost, the momentum suddenly changed. Hewitt was given a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct when he aggressively pointed his finger at a baseline judge and Safin kept his cool to break him twice and win the set.
Safin served 17 of his 18 aces in the last three sets and by the fourth set he was winning most of the long rallies that Hewitt had dominated in the first set.
He grabbed the decisive break of serve in the first game of the fourth set when, during a 30-shot rally, he drew Hewitt to the net and whipped a backhand past his 23-year-old opponent and held his remaining service games without any problem to seal victory.
"I think he ran out of gas today. He saw his opportunity but when I got the break in the third set, something happened inside of him.
"He didn't believe he could win the match anymore...and that's when I started to think I could win."
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By Richard Hinds
Sydney Morning Herald
January 31, 2005
Marat Safin def Lleyton Hewitt 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
One man's destiny denied, another man's fulfilled. Marat Safin last night not only broke local hearts, he proved he had one of his own by beating Lleyton Hewitt in a tense, see-sawing final that gave an enthralling centenary Australian Open a fitting climax.
Twice an abject loser in the final here, Safin seemed likely to walk from the Rod Laver Arena empty-handed yet again after a start to the match that was every bit as dispiriting as his previous defeats by Thomas Johansson and Roger Federer. But, rather than throw in the towel, the Russian this time responded to his opponent's customary probing examination with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 comeback, a performance that would have done Hewitt himself proud.
The tournament's first night final had been billed as an occasion as much as a contest. It was supposed to be the night Hewitt appeared on court with an eraser rather than a racquet. He would rub out one of the most embarrassing records in Australian sport - the fact no local man had won the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
Accordingly, the pre-match atmosphere was of celebration rather than anticipation. Olivia Newton-John sang a song on court that may well have been in the hit parade when Edmondson won the title. Greg Norman, for whom Hewitt once caddied, joined the Australian's entourage. And, as well as the 16,000 supporters inside the arena, another 3000 watched on a big screen outside.
The 24 minutes it took Hewitt to win the first set did little to deflate the party mood or alter the suggestion that this would be a night of national celebration. But, as Norman might have told his former bag man, the greatest build-ups are often followed by the most bitter disappointments.
"I'm sure in a couple of days I'll look back and say it's been a great achievement and I'll have no regrets and I'll walk away with my head held high, knowing that I've given everything," Hewitt said. "But right at the moment, I'm human and I'm disappointed. To train so hard and come so close, it's hard to take at the moment."
Although Hewitt had nothing to regret after his brilliant march to the final, this defeat will indeed be hard to swallow. He had worked harder than any finalist in memory to merely get to the final and it will take an enormous effort to earn that chance again. In the past five grand slams, Hewitt has lost to the eventual winner. The player who ruled for two years as the game's No.1 has become the testing material for the game's stars. The question is now whether he can raise his game and reach the top again.
Safin deserved all the accolades but, after accepting the trophy from Australian legend Ken Rosewall, paid tribute to his beaten opponent. "You had a really good and tough two weeks," he said. "I watched you the past two weeks and, you know, I never watch tennis. You were great against [Rafael] Nadal, you were great against [David] Nalbandian. You have a great God-given talent to fight and get the ball."
Hewitt had started the match nervelessly, continually fetching the few balls Safin got over the net and, it seemed at the time, exposing his opponent's brittle psyche. In that lop-sided opening set, Safin committed 13 unforced errors and what had been billed as a match for the ages seemed like becoming a one-sided procession.
Indeed, so flat was the contest that Hewitt did not utter his customary cry of "Come on!" until early in the second set, and that was only a timid imitation of his usual roars. Yet, just as the Australian seemed to have one hand on the trophy, Safin's heart started to beat.
In the first set, the memories of two previous defeats in Australian Open finals crossed the Russian's mind.
"I was thinking about the two finals I had played and I wasn't successful then," he said. "But in the second set more or less I got it together. I played a little bit and found the rhythm of the game and it was easier."
The turning point came when Safin made what was to prove a conclusive break of serve at 1-2 in the second set. Typically, Hewitt was not shaken by Safin levelling the match. He broke serve himself early in the third set and led 3-0 when Safin went to his chair for treatment - something that seemed more like a delaying tactic than a medical necessity. Safin then turned the match again, breaking Hewitt twice to gain what would prove a decisive two-sets-to-one lead.
But, as might have been expected, Hewitt went down screaming. After being foot-faulted facing a break point at 4-2 in the third set, he won the point with a brilliant winner, then screamed at the linesman who had faulted him. The replay showed the call was correct, but Hewitt's agitation earned him a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Had Hewitt won that game, he would have led 5-2. Instead, Safin got back to 4-4. "If I could have had an opportunity at 5-3 to serve out the set, it could have been my way," Hewitt said. "But, to his credit, he raised his momentum and got it back his way."
Although Hewitt's performance in the final will disappoint him, his fight to reach the final only enhanced his reputation as one of the game's great warriors. Since going a set down in his second-round match against James Blake, he battled with incredible heart and nerve to push himself into a fourth grand-slam final.
The Hewitt camp may continue to bemoan the supposedly slow pace of the Rebound Ace and wonder how badly such a tortuous fortnight had affected a player already inconvenienced by a hip injury. But, in the end, they will have to swallow a cliche: Hewitt was simply beaten by the better man on the night.
As always, it had been Safin's attitude as much as his execution that had been studied throughout the tournament. While he had performed the feat of beating Pete Sampras in a US Open final aged 20, in recent years his inability to win another significant title had him compared to Goran Ivanisevic - not for his big serve, but for his potential waste of talent.
Since losing the final here last year, Safin has taken on Roger Federer's former coach, Peter Lundgren and, by his own hedonistic standards, adopted a monastic lifestyle. The results are now on the board. Lundgren, said Safin, had taught him a lot of things about the game. "And I have taught him a lot of things off the court," he added.
Safin had come from match point down in his semi-final against Federer and from a set down in the final. It takes nerves, class and endurance to rally from such predicaments. At long last, Safin has shown he has the heart of a champion.
THE MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
FIRST SET: 6-1 HEWITT
Safin shows nervous signs early in the first game when he misses the opportunity to go up 30-0 on Hewitt's serve by hitting an easy volley long.
Hewitt breaks Safin's serve to lead 2-0. Hewitt then has two service games in which Safin does not win a point. Safin's game is riddled with unforced errors.
At 4-1, Hewitt breaks Safin's serve again and then serves out the set.
SECOND SET: 6-3 SAFIN
Hewitt's unforced error rate rises as Safin lifts. He breaks Hewitt's serve to go 3-1 up. Safin holds serve to lead 4-1 but still appears shaky.
Hewitt survives a set point to hold his serve, but trails Safin 5-3. Safin serves out the set.
THIRD SET: 6-4 SAFIN
Safin starts strongly and has two break points on Hewitt's first service game, but the Australian survives. In the following game, Hewitt breaks Safin. Hewitt holds serve to go 3-0 up. Safin throws his racquet.
Hewitt is given a code-violation warning after intimidating a linesman who called a foot fault against him. Safin breaks back in the same game.
Hewitt double-faults on break point.
FOURTH SET: 6-4 SAFIN
After losing the previous seven games in succession, Hewitt finally wins his serve to trail 1-2.
Down 0-30 on his serve, Hewitt survives a break point and stays in touch at 2-3.
Safin's serve is blistering and he delivers three aces to lead 4-2.
Hewitt can't answer Safin's serves and the Russian closes out the match.
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January 31, 2005
Sydney Morning Herald
Controversy. Epic matches. A local hero in the men's final. Richard Hinds looks at eight things that made the 100th Australian Open not just one of the best, but one of the greats.
1 THE COURAGE OF HEWITT
The line was written half a dozen times during the tournament, "Love Hewitt or hate him ..." Yes, you know the rest. Regardless of what you thought of his on-court theatrics, Hewitt's incredible willpower became the talking point of a nation.
It seemed he had done quite well to come from a set down in his second-round match against James Blake. But when it became apparent he had carried an injury - possibly of the hip - into the tournament, his feats in winning five-set thrillers against Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian, before withstanding the early bombardment of Andy Roddick in their semi-final, assured his place among the ranks of Australia's greatest athlete/warriors.
But should we have been so surprised? This is a man who had won Davis Cup ties off his own racquet in hostile territory and battled all sorts of other disadvantages, not least his lack of size in the gargantuan world of modern tennis. Rather than an exception, Hewitt's passage to the final was merely the latest instalment in an incredible against-the-odds career.
2 REBOUND ACE
Two weeks before the tournament, Hewitt started his campaign against the supposedly slower-than-usual Rebound Ace courts at Melbourne Park. It was "green clay", wrote his propagandists. Yet, by beating in successive matches three brilliant claycourters in Juan Ignacio Chela, Nadal and Nalbandian, the Australian debunked his own theory.
In the media-driven controversy that surrounded the surface, various players and observers weighed in. But by the final, tournament director Paul McNamee stood vindicated. If the surface can create a tournament like this, don't change a thing.
3 MOLIK'S ATTITUDE
Moment of the tournament? You could pick through all the Hewitt film, push for Federer's winner around the net post or Safin's moment of triumph against the Swiss. But, for mine, it was Alicia Molik knocking a backhand winner past Lindsay Davenport, then turning to her eclectic group of court-side supporters and pumping her fist with a beaming smile on her face.
Molik's powerful, late-blooming game alone is enough to gladden the hearts of those who had dismissed the thought of Australia again producing a top-flight female player. The added bonus is Molik's joyful, no-nonsense approach on the court and her confident, yet self-effacing attitude off it.
As determined as she is to be the best, she seems equally unaffected by her fame. The sight of Molik wandering outside Melbourne Park by herself - no minders, no hangers-on - nodding her head to well-wishers was, in its own way, another great moment.
4 SHARAPOVA'S ... TENNIS
The new Anna Kournikova? Nuh-uh. What we have on our hands here is the first Maria Sharapova. When the 17-year-old won Wimbledon last year, it seemed like a postscript to her performance in the more important part of the tournament - getting her picture in the tabloids. At Melbourne Park, however, she proved a far more substantial athlete than reports from the All-England Club had suggested.
Perhaps the only valid comparison with the far-less-resilient game of Kournikova was that, when she had a stranglehold on her semi-final against Serena Williams, she was unable to finish the job. However, the quality of her play in that match, and in the tournament as a whole, suggested the arrival of a new star who will spend far more time on the court than the catwalk.
5 SAFIN AND THE MEN'S TOP FOUR
For the first time since 1988, when Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander and Pat Cash reached the semi-finals, the four top seeds were left to slug it out. The resulting matches - particularly Safin's brilliant victory - were vindication for those who hate major upsets in the first week, knowing they usually lead to flat mismatches at the business end of the tournament.
Hewitt's great performances are heralded above. But, of the Big Four, the greatest achievement went to Safin. Throughout the tournament, there had been talk the flaky Russian was more focused, that he was not only getting to bed on time, he was getting to his own bed on time. But it took a big-hearted five-set victory over the seemingly unstoppable Federer in which the Russian saved one match point and finally converted the seventh he had created himself to convince us Safin was the real deal.
6 A BIT OF ARGIE-BARGY
Did Lleyton put his shoulder into Nalbandian at the change of ends as the Argentinian seemed to suggest or did Hewitt give his opponent a bit of a nudge? In the scale of sporting collisions - Danny Williams's hit on Mark O'Neill being a 9.5 out of 10 - it did not even register. But in a sport where the only contact is with the eye, the reaction of both players was interesting. Less edifying was Chela, whose torrent of spittle was memorable for two reasons - that it was directed at Hewitt and its remarkable volume. The Chela spit raised the question of whether Hewitt's triumphal shouts should be made after an opponent's error. But the real poser was that if spitting toward an opponent is worth only a $US2000 fine ($2580), what are you allowed to do for $US10,000?
7 SERENA WILLIAMS'S RETURN
She bit back hard when it was suggested the Williams sisters were in decline. She said, after beating Sharapova, she was one of the bravest fighters in the game. She said she was still the player the others feared. And observers cupped their hands and whispered: "Who is Serena kidding?"
Yet, after 18 months sidelined by serious knee and abdominal injuries, Serena finally talked with something that could not be contradicted: her racquet. She proved herself a fighter by overcoming a rib injury and a one-set deficit to beat Lindsay Davenport in the final. She proved that at least one half of the Williams-sisters franchise was in working order by winning her second Australian Open and seventh grand slam title. She moved from No.7 to No.2 in the rankings and, with relatively few points to defend this year, could well reclaim the No.1 spot soon. Modesty and self-effacement will never be Williams's game. Tennis is.
8 LOW-SCALE ENTOURAGE ACTION
Over the past decade, as the era of the celebrity athletes has taken hold, the tennis world particularly has become more obsessed by who is watching matches rather than who is playing them. So it was a refreshing change that the inhabitants of the court-side boxes mostly took second billing to the real stars.
Hewitt's celebrity squeeze Bec Cartwright was the major exception, one tabloid going to the extreme lengths of reporting the contents of the meal they had shared at a Mexican restaurant. (They had nachos for entree and Lleyts had a burrito "washed down with a Coke.") Otherwise, with Marat Safin hosting just one female companion, Andy Roddick without a partner and Steffi Graf and the Williams clan now old hat, the tournament was refreshingly entourage-free
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By Emma Quayle
Sydney Morning Herald
January 31, 2005
Marat Safin has charm, and he knows how to use it. Never one to snub a blonde, the Russian smiled invitingly at Olivia Newton-John after the singer tossed the coin at the start of last night's final and insisted that she stand between he and Lleyton Hewitt and pose for a pre-match photograph.
Having watched a Hewitt forehand fly wide and raised his hands in almost subdued celebration of his second grand slam title, Safin then used the first part of his thank-you speech to praise his opponent's support crew, before thinking to speak of his own.
Striding onto centre court almost three hours earlier, Safin's head had been filled with two simple, if entirely opposite, strategies. To beat the local hope, he needed to be patient; equally, when opportunity arrived, he had to play with risk.
That happened. There was a confidence and calm in Safin's banishing of his Australian Open demons, like he really did know that this was how it would happen for him. He started slowly, he got a little bit better, he got lots better, and then he got to hold up a big trophy.
But this win was not as simple as it might have been. Runner-up in Melbourne twice before, and with those losses running like repeats through his mind, Safin made a tired and nervous, almost shy start.
From the first ball, he was sluggish, almost a half-second behind Hewitt, as if playing on delay. "I thought the first set wasn't really tennis," Safin said later, and he was right. Often, the ball reached his racquet before he had seemed to see it coming, and he could not even run or hit himself into rhythm.
Rallies ran, but the longer they went, the more inevitable it was that Safin would smack a forehand long, or roll a half-paced backhand into the bottom half of the net. The first three games were gone in nine minutes, although Safin found time to make at least five big mistakes; the opening set lasted only 14 more minutes and was lost 6-1.
This was not something the Hewitt camp seemed keen to celebrate, though, and with reason, because while things started to turn for Safin almost before he seemed ready for it, the swing gained quick speed once he saw it, and he had climbed aboard.
It was as if Safin started to make moments his, rather than wait for the match to happen. Having raced to a 40-0 lead at the start of the second set, he looked grateful that life was finally letting him breathe easy. Then Hewitt made him scramble some more. Then he pushed another easy shot wide.
Back at deuce, Safin's match might have been lost here. Instead, he found a way out, broke Hewitt in the next game and, before he had completely found range or got his legs moving like they should, served the set out and levelled things.
Safin next let Hewitt get away to a three-game lead at the start of the third set, but it was when he was trailing that the Russian began to play like a leader, to take the risks he had promised to and to guide points rather than just tag along.
The first serves fell in, more regularly and much faster. Safin's eyes opened wider, and his legs woke up with them. The forehands began to fall in, the backhands tore over the net instead of into it, and having come back to standard size, Safin's court shrunk even smaller, and turned into his toy.
This time, Safin had worked it out. Mind you, half an hour after the match he still felt he would somehow lose it. "It is really difficult to believe this," Safin said.
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By Andy Schooler
sportinglife.com
January 30, 2005
Lleyton Hewitt took to the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne looking to become the first home winner of the Australian Open since 1976.
The local hero was taking on Marat Safin, the man who ended world number one Roger Federer's unbeaten run in the semi-finals.
Spurred on by an impromptu crowd version of Advance Australia Fair, the Australian national anthem, prior to the match, Hewitt made the most of some early errors from Safin to hold serve in the opening game.
And the errors off the ground continued from the Russian in his first service game as he handed Hewitt an early break.
It was nervous stuff from the fourth seed who quickly found himself 3-0 down.
Safin got on the scoreboard in the fourth game as he began to find his range with his booming serve.
However, Hewitt was looking rock solid and a second successive love service game from him kept him in early control.
Safin really was all over the place with his groundstrokes - several more in game six brought his unforced error count into double figures.
He fought back from 0-40 to deuce but Hewitt pounced again when he got a fourth break chance and was left serving for a one-set lead.
The way he was serving, that was never in any doubt and he clinched the set 6-1 in just 23 minutes having dropped only two points on his own delivery.
Safin gained a crucial hold in the opening game of the second set.
He produced his first ace of the match in game three which he eventually won, but what he really needed was to up his first-serve percentage which was stuck below 40.
Few cheap points meant Hewitt was forcing a rally on nearly every point and once into them, he always looked the more likely winner.
For the first time Safin, a two-time runner-up in Melbourne, found a string of winners in the following game to put Hewitt's serve under pressure.
And when the Australian cracked, Safin was very much back into the match with a 3-1 second-set lead.
The Russian's game had certainly improved and serve continued to hold sway to 5-2 at which point Hewitt found himself serving to stay in the set.
With Safin much more consistent off the ground now, Hewitt was forced to save set point in that game before holding.
But Safin was not to be denied, levelling the match at one set all with a hold to 30.
The pendulum appeared to have swung back in the pre-match favourite's favour and Hewitt had to face further break points in the opening game of the third set.
But he dug deep to hang on to his serve, letting cry with his trademark 'come on' call as Safin sent a shot wide.
You sensed this was a key period and the following game was arguably the best of the match so far.
Both men battled away in the long rallies but Hewitt, angered by an overrule from the umpire at one stage, came up with some superb shots to gain the first break of the set.
That proved too much for Safin whose fiery temper showed itself for the first time as he slammed his racket into the Rebound Ace surface.
The Russian repeated his actions to earn a code violation from the umpire when Hewitt held for 3-0.
He then called for the trainer for work on his thighs.
It appeared little more than tiredness - his match with Federer had lasted four and a half hours - which must have boosted Hewitt as he sat and waited.
Admirably Safin managed to refocus and with Hewitt serving at 4-2, a series of winners took him to break point.
Hewitt, who picked up a warning for berating a line judge during the game, came up with a sensational winner of his own to save the first, but another winner from Safin soon afterwards saw him get the set back on serve.
A major turnaround appeared to be taking place as, when Hewitt stepped up to serve again at 4-4, Safin forced break points again.
The home hope saved one but a tense double fault on the second handed Safin the game and left him serving for the set.
And despite being taken to deuce, Safin served it out to leave Hewitt's title dream hanging by a thread.
At that point it was Hewitt's turn to receive treatment on his thighs.
The delay was not enough to knock Safin out of his groove though.
He has getting stuck into the Aussie's serve with relish now and did so again in the first game of the fourth set.
A superb forehand winner on the run helped him to break point and then a brilliant rally saw Hewitt pulled to the net before Safin picked him off with a backhand cross-court pass.
That left Hewitt with a mountain to climb. Safin's first serve was now finding its target more than 70 per cent of the time and he enjoyed another simple hold to make it seven games on the spin to move to 2-0.
That run was snapped in the third game with a hold to 30.
A love game from Safin made it 3-1 and the 25-year-old knew three more games like that would secure him the title.
Safin felt he could finish it quicker though and he forced yet another break point in the following game only for Hewitt to hold and stay alive.
The crowd favourite was determined to fight on and that he did, but at 4-3 to Safin time was running out.
Another comfortable hold left Hewitt serving to stay in the match.
He forced Safin to serve it out, but there was never any hint of nerves from the two-time runner-up who clinched a 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory when Hewitt sent a forehand wide.
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Sunday, 30 January, 2005
by Luke Buttigieg
australianopen.com
Russian Marat Safin has crashed local hope Lleyton Hewitt's party, recovering from a set down to claim the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup as Australian Open men's singles champion at his third attempt.
Beaten by Thomas Johansson in 2002 and Roger Federer 12 months ago in the decider at Melbourne Park, Safin looked set for more heartbreak when he surrendered the opening set to a fired-up Hewitt in just 23 minutes.
But the No.4 seed lifted his output and squared the match with the only break of the second set, before then rallying from a break down in the third to run away with the match and prevail 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in two hours and 45 minutes.
Safin was worn out and simply couldn't stay with Federer in 2004, having endured several long matches coming in, but after those two heartbreaking losses, he is now a Grand Slam champion for a second time, following his 2000 US Open victory.
Having taken a hip flexor injury into the tournament, and then been forced to endure two five-set matches and a quartet of four-setters, fatigue appeared to play a big part in No.3 seed Hewitt's performance as the match wore on.
And having won the 2001 US Open title and Wimbledon the following year, he will have to wait at least another year to achieve his dream of a home Grand Slam triumph, when it will also be 30 years since Australian Mark Edmondson's 1976 victory.
After holding serve in the first game of the match No.3 seed Hewitt then broke in the second game and held again for a 3-0 lead, and his patient tactics of going to the Safin backhand paid dividends again in the sixth game with another break.
That allowed him to serve for the set and with 26 points to only 11, six winners to Safin's five and just one unforced error to his opponent's 13, as it was plain to see what made the difference early.
After Safin held serve in the first game of the second set Hewitt was forced to dig deep to do likewise, but it was a sign of things to come as Safin then broke in the fourth to lead 3-1 and staved off two break points in the ninth game to level the contest after 66 minutes.
Safin was starting to find the lines with his forehand, but some superb returns from Hewitt allowed him to break in the second game and race 3-0 clear, at which point Safin called for treatment on his upper legs.
The next two games went with serve but, after being down 1-4 midway through the set, Safin suddenly began to find his rhythm with his backhand as well and broke back with his third opportunity.
The set was quickly over as Safin also won the next three games to suddenly lead by a set, and Hewitt called for treatment on his hip injury, using the full three-minute injury time-out he was allowed.
Having won the final five games of the third set, Safin extended his run to seven games by breaking a third time in succession in the first game of the fourth set, and though he had further chances to break, Hewitt held on to force him to serve it out.
But Safin was not to be denied, and held brilliantly to love in the 10th game to secure a famous victory, while Hewitt has now lost his past two Grand Slam finals, having also been defeated by Federer in the US Open final last September.
• The sets lasted 23, 42, 58 and 42 minutes, respectively
• Safin served 18 aces, Hewitt 7
• Safin hit 54 winners, Hewitt 3
• Safin won 122 points, Hewitt 113
• Safin made 36 unforced errors, Hewitt 22
• Safin converted 4 of 11 break point chances, Hewitt 3 of 8
• Safin put 60% of his first serves into play, Hewitt 49%
• Safin won 73% of points on his first serve, Hewitt 70%
• Safin won 25 of 42 points (60%) when he came to the net, Hewitt 10 of 17 (59%)
• Safin's fastest serve was clocked at 215 km/h, Hewitt's 202 km/h
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Marat Safin vs Lleyton Hewitt
Australian Open final
January 30, 2005
(read from the bottom up)
13:00 Thank you for joining eurosport.com/co.uk for live scoring and comments of Australian Open 2005. It was a fantastic championships for men's and women's tennis and we look forward to you returning to the website for further coverage of the 2005 season! Have a good day!
13:00 MARAT SAFIN: "Lleyton had a great start to the year, I watched you on TV, you were great against [Rafael] Nadal and [David] Nalbandian. You have such a will to win. It's been good to see our careers progress, from our first meeting in Brisbane in 1999 to now. Well done coach, girlfriend, everybody... thank you for the sponsors. The lines people, without you I wouldn't win a point. Thank you for your support, I know 90% of you were behind Lleyton, but thanks. Until next year, thank you!"
12:56 Marat Safin walks up to Ken Rosewall to receive the Norman Brookes Challenge Trophy for the centenary championships...
12:55 LLEYTON HEWITT: "Congratulations to Marat, what a great tournament. You're one of the best players in the world, you knocked out the best player the other day and you thoroughly deserve the victory. I want to thank my family, my coach Roger [Rasheed], I love you mate. Thank you for putting in such a great effort. I'll try to go one step further next year!"
12:52 Lleyton Hewitt, the runner-up, receives his shield from Ken Rosewall, the youngest and oldest winner of the Australian Open...
12:50 In the whole Australian Open fortnight, 543,000 spectators came through the Melbourne Park gates...
12:45 The players are applauded into the centre of the court as the master of ceremonies introduces Paul McNamara, the Tennis Australia president, for his centenatry championship speech...
12:42 The Rod Laver Arena centre court is being prepared for the trophy presentation now, Safin returns to the court and Hewitt sits in his chair taking in what has just happened...
12:39 Marat Safin ends any hope of a first Australian since Mark Edmondson, in 1976, at least for now... the players go off court to change clothes in preparation for the on-court ceremony!
12:39 Safin serving... 128mph ACE 15-0; Safin drop-volleys to clean the tramline 30-0; ACE 40-0; TRIPLE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT for SAFIN... first serve just long, second delivery is shanked out by Hewitt... GAME SET MATCH CHAMPIONSHIP MARAT SAFIN 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4! A pump of the fist but no more, these two players have a great deal of respect for one another... at the net Hewitt says: "Well played mate, you deserve it."
12:36 Safin comes off his chair to serve for the Australian Open title...
12:35 Hewitt his having to every shot that much finer as Safin continues to anticpate well; the Australian gives himself a life-line with a successive first serve ACES, one timed at a match-best 126mph... 4-5
12:32 Hewitt hits a brave second serve into the corner at 30-30 leaving Safin to shank a backhand wide of the right tramline 40-30... Safins nails a backhand winner down the line, DEUCE!
12:29 Another brutal service game for Marat Safin, closing out to 15 with successive backhand drive winners... one game away now from ending the Australian dream...
12:25 Hewitt team are on their feet following a service hold to 30 for 3-4... Safin two games away from the match now...
12:22 After two hours and 29 minutes Safin hits his first double fault, but closes out to 15 with a 17th ACE for the match... 4-2!
12:20 Peter Lundgren must be given the credit for one almighty scramble from Safin for 15-0; the Russian's physical conditioning has improved beyond belief and he slices a forehand to force Hewitt to miss a dive volley...
12:18 A great comeback for Hewitt, staying in contact with a deep groundstrokes in a hold to advantage... coming close to crunch time in the set, Safin leads 3-2
12:16 BREAK POINT for SAFIN, completely relxad and making holes in the Hewitt defence... Hewitt (30-40) hits his first serve down the middle and comes into the net for a forehand putaway... DEUCE!
12:13 It must have been nerves in the first set, because Safin is now firing on all cyclinders with a first serve percentage of 74; he closes out to love to maintain the two game cushion... 3-1
12:10 A fan shouts out as Safin plays a backhand, distracting the Russian into netting the groundstroke drive; Hewitt closes out to 30 for 1-2...
12:07 THREE ACES in a service hold to 15 for Safin, confirming the break of serve for a 2-0 lead...
12:05 BREAK POINT for SAFIN... the Russian has the belief now, but Hewitt won't give up... second serve backhand-to-backhand rally; Safin drop-shots Hewitt then hits a crosscourt backhand winner to BREAK in the opening game of the fourth set...
12:03 Safin's turn to scramble a running forehand past Hewitt at the net... Hewitt serving at DEUCE now...
11:59 Lleyton Hewitt begins the fourth set after a few hamstring stretches...
11:58 The Hewitt camp, including golfer Greg Norman, don't look happy!
11:57 Hewitt's turn for a thigh massage now, the Australian had played 17 hours 27 minutes of tennis prior to this final, so it's no surprise he is receiving the same treatment as Safin at the start of the third set...
11:56 Safin starts with a 138mph ACE 15-0; Hewitt lobs an net-rushing Safin to perfection 15-15; Safin cracks another ACE wide 30-15; Hewitt guesses the direction of Safin's 77mph second serve and hits a big forehand return 30-30; unreturned delivery 40-30; SET POINT for SAFIN... DOUBLE FAULT; against Federer, Safin got tight; DEUCE; Hewitt returns into the net. SECOND SET POINT for SAFIN... first delivery long, Hewitt hits a backhand wide; THIRD SET SAFIN 6-4 in 58 minutes! What a turnaround after a poor start to the set!
11:51 Safin gets out a freshly strung racket for his service game for the third set... play!
11:50 Two calls of foot fault have broken Hewitt mentally...
11:50 HEWITT FALLING APART: the 23-year-old is called for a foot fault once more, while Safin hits a forehand winner down the line to set up DOUBLE BREAK POINT at 15-40... Hewitt hits an ureturned serve 30-40; the Australian then misses a forehand, netting tamely... SAFIN BREAKS for 5-4
11:46 BACK ON LEVEL TERMS: Safin closes out to 15 with TWO ACES for 4-4 in the third set...
11:42 BREAK POINT #3 for SAFIN... Hewitt's temper is getting the better of him... first serve into the net, second delivery ends with Safin nailing a double-fisted backhand down the line... Lundgren is on his feet... SAFIN BREAKS BACK for 3-4! On serve once again...
11:41 SECOND BREAK POINT for SAFIN... Hewitt serving at advantage point down does just enough with a lob to see the Russian nets a smash/volley... DEUCE!
11:37 Two forehand land on the lines helping SAFIN to BREAK POINT... Hewitt serving at 30-40... first delivery foot fault... second serve and a long backhand-to-backhand rally... ended by Hewitt with a forehand winner down the line, then points a finger at the linejudge who he feels missed a call... DEUCE, but unsporting behaviour! The chair umpire warns the Australian and rightly so...
11:34 A no-nonsense forehand crosscourt winner, amongst three unreturned deliveries gives Safin hope as he trails Hewitt at 2-4...
11:32 Tiring dramtically now, Safin nets two returns without any fuss; Hewitt closes out to 30 with a fourth first serve in the game for a 4-1 lead... the balance of power has shifted in the Australian's favour now... Safin is in a mental battle now...
11:27 Safin trails 1-3, with a series of quick points and TWO ACES in a hold to 15...
11:24 Safin begins to serve at 0-3. Hewitt will have recognised the problem and feed on it...
11:21 The trainer massages some cream into Safin's thighs now...
11:20 A trainer comes onto court, to attend to Safin's thighs... Peter Lundgren, his coach, is on his feet in the stands...
11:19 The first snapped racket of the night: Safin returns a forehand long to give Hewitt a 3-0 lead...
11:19 Just to stay in the points, Safin is having to match Hewitt's scrambling... 30-30 on the Aussie's serve now...
11:16 Hewitt gets a netcord with Safin stranded at the net... THIRD BREAK POINT for HEWITT... Safin shanks a forehand long of the baseline then slams his racket onto the Rebound Ace court as HEWITT breaks for a 2-0 lead...
11:15 BREAK POINT for HEWITT... Safin slows himself down going to his towel at the back of the court; he hits a first serve wide then comes to the net for a forehand drop-shot winner... DEUCE!
11:12 The first over-rule of the match: Hewitt is argues with the chair umpire as a Safin forehand clips the basline, the Aussie doesn't think so though...
11:11 Hewitt is putting Safin under pressure now, scrambling every single ball back and making the Russian hit closer to the lines... deuce #3
11:10 Defensive brilliance from Hewitt, scrambling alongside the linejudges at the back of the court helps the third seed set up BREAK POINT... Safin comes to the net on the back of a deep first serve and pounds a forehand winner away; DEUCE!
11:06 Hewitt comes through the opening game of the third set as Safin nets a backhand return; the 'Fanatics' dressed in yellow 'Superman' tee-shirts begin to chant once again...
11:05 A SECOND BREAK POINT for SAFIN... Hewitt rifles a first delivery wide and Safin returns well long of the baseline... a fist pump and "C'mon" and Hewitt will serve once again at DEUCE!
11:02 BREAK POINT for SAFIN... Hewitt serving at 30-40... the Aussie nets his first serve, the second delivery is deep to the Safin backhand, short rally ended with a Russian backhand into the net... DEUCE!
11:00 The first few games of the third set will be very interesting... Lleyton Hewitt begins to serve...
10:58 Safin serving now at 30-30... first serve into the net, second delivery is returned out by Hewitt, who then swipes his racket in disgust 40-30; SET POINT for SAFIN... big one-two, serve out wide finished with a forehand approach winner behind Hewitt... SECOND SET SAFIN 6-3 in 42 minutes, hitting ten winners and seven unforced errors... Hewitt in comparison is 8-10...
10:54 Hewitt takes his service game with a backhand netcord that bounces Safin's side and doesn't give the Russian any chance to play it... 3-5...
10:53 Safin's backhand getting better with every game, piercing the Hewitt defences now...
10:52 A third forehand error for Hewitt and SAFIN has SET POINT... Hewitt nets a first serve, the second is to the Safin forehand the rally continues, but the Russian's forehand is called long about three seconds after it bounced! DEUCE!
10:49 SLAP THAT THIGH... Safin is annoyed with himself after two lame returns give Hewitt a 30-15 lead...
10:47 Safin is using his towel as a way to slow himself down between points; at 30-30 the Russian out with a deep serve, then holds for a 5-2 lead with a Hewitt forehand error...
10:43 Hewitt cuts the lead to stay in touch at 2-4... Safin over-stretching on a couple of forehands when a safer drive would have been the better option...
10:39 Hewitt is the one trying too hard now, as Safin plays within himself with groundstrokes within the lines of the court... he holds to 15 for 4-1 as Hewitt misses a forehand...
10:37 Safin is measuring his attacks a lot better now, hitting the right shot at the right time...
10:35 DOUBLE BREAK POINT for SAFIN... pinning Hewitt now four yards behind the baseline, the Aussie serves at 15-40... Safin nails a forehand return drive down the line, Hewitt is too slow to scramble... SAFIN leads 3-1... GAME ON!
10:30 Safin is getting a foothold in the final for the first time... he closes out on advantage point, surviving the test Hewitt set him... 2-1
10:30 THE SHOT OF THE DAY: Safin slices to Hewitt's backhand wing, but the 23-year-old responds, the Russian then hits a slice to the backhand, Hewitt hits a forehand winner clean down the line for 40-30...
10:26 Hewitt closes the door on Safin as the fourth seed's confidence begins to grow... the Australian closes out on game point #2 at advantage for 1-1, having to hit close to the lines for the first time!
10:21 Safin closes out to 30 for the opening game of the second set; Hewitt returning two first deliveries long... 1-0
10:20 Hewitt's serve and forehand have improved out of sight during the championships; Safin, on the otherhand, can't hit a first serve for toffee...
10:17 Marat Safin serves to start the second set, he must forget about the first 25 minutes of this final...
10:16 Peter Lundgren, Safin's coach, looks nervous in the stands, Hewitt is completely dominant hitting 6 winners to the Russian's 5; one unforced error to 13; and a winner of 26 points to Safin's 11
10:15 Hewitt continues to run over Safin and sets up DOUBLE SET POINT with a forehand winner down the line... first serve down the T and Safin can't return... FIRST SET HEWITT 6-1 in 24 minutes!
10:13 Hewitt lobs Safin at the net with great disguise; BREAK POINT for HEWITT... Safin goes for his towel... he hits a first serve down the middle and comes to the net, Hewitt pasess with a crosscourt forehand... HEWITT BREAKS for 5-1
10:11 TRIPLE BREAK POINT for HEWITT... Safin serving at 0-40... Safin drop-shots but Hewitt scrambles back, Safin then lobs and punches a forehand volley winner 15-40; Safin nails a backhand down the line onto the line 30-40; Hewitt nets a backhand off a powerful Safin forehand; DEUCE!
10:07 The first ACE of the game goes to Hewitt and he rounds out a love service hold to love with a backhand approach winner into space... 4-1
10:07 No confidence on the grounstroke so far... Safin has made nine unforced errors to Hewitt's one!
10:05 Safin gets his a name on the scoreboard with a hold to 15, testing Hewitt with some wide first deliveries... 1-3
10:01 A love service hold for Hewitt... Safin continues to rush groundstrokes as his error count increases... 3-0!
09:59 Safin in a spot of trouble, serving at 15-30, as Hewitt rallies to the Russian's backhand... but the fourth seed comes to the net and volleys a forehand winner for 30-30; forehand error long of the baseline 30-40; BREAK POINT for HEWITT... Safin hits his first serve long, the second produces a long rally, ended with a Safin backhand drive into the net... HEWITT breaks for 2-0... nervous start for Safin!
09:54 Thrre unforced errors - one volley and two forehands - by Safin help Hewitt to an opening service hold to 15 in the match... 1-0
09:52 Thousands of people sit outside Rod Laver Arena watching on the big screen...
09:51 Third seed Lleyton Hewitt gets the first evening final at the Australian Open underway, play!
09:50 Hewitt and Safin head to their chairs at the end of the warm-up, both going for a drink in the freezers beside their chairs...
09:49 As the pair hit their serves towards the end of the warm-up, the crowd strike up "Waltzing Matilda"...
09:43 Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt begin their five-minute warm-up in their 11th career meeting as the sun begins to set on Melbourne... local time: 19:43...
09:42 Olivia Newton John shakes Safin and Hewitt's hand prior to tossing the coin to decide who serves and from which end
09:41 Lleyton Hewitt, who will rank second in the world standings on Monday, gets a standing ovation from the capacity crowd...
09:41 Fourth seed Marat Safin comes out onto court, getting a good ovation...
09:39 Paul McNamee, the tournament director, leads out Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt past the photos of the former champions and down the steps to Rod Laver Arena centre court...
09:33 Olivia Newton John comes onto court, walking along the red carpet to warm up the crowd with a couple of songs prior to the final...
09:30 The players are expected on court inside ten minutes... perfect conditions for the final, little wind and a court temperature of 26°C...
09:25 JIM COURIER ON THE MEN'S FINAL: "All the momentum has to be on [Lleyton Hewitt's] side and that's pretty tough to say to Marat Safin who's created some amazing momentum of his own, but this isin't in Russia. This match is being played in Australia so I think it's clear who the favourite's going to be."
09:20 In the absence of the 'Rockhampton Rocket' Rod Laver, Ken 'Muscles' Rosewall will present the Norman Brookes trophy to the men's singles champion...
09:15 The Rod Laver Arena is beginning to fill near it's 16,000 seater capacity with thousands of Australian fans wearing green 'n gold...
07:30 AUSTRALIAN OPEN MIXED DOUBLES FINAL RESULT: Unseeded Australians Scott Draper and Samantha Stosur beat Zimbabwean Kevin Ullyett and Liezel Huber of South Africa 6-2 2-6 7-6 (10-8)!
07:25 GIRLS SINGLES FINAL RESULT: First seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeats Hungary's Agnes Szavay, the 12th seed, 6-32 6-2 for the Australian Open title!
07:20 BOYS SINGLES FINAL RESULT: American 15-year-old Donald Young defeated Sun-Yong Kim of Korea 6-2 6-4 for the Australian Open title!
07:15 HEAD-TO-HEAD: Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin have met on ten occasions with their career series tied 5-5. The pair met first in a Davis Cup semi-final at Brisbane in 1999. Last season, Hewitt defeated Safin at the Cincinnati Masters 6-4 6-4, but the Russian gained revenge indoors at the Paris Masters in November, en route to the title with a 6-4 7-6 quarter-final win. Five meetings on hard courts: with Hewitt winning last three. Safin last win on hard at Masters Cup in 2000.
07:00 MARAT SAFIN BIOGRAPHY: The Russian celebrated his 25th birthday with a semi-final victory over Roger Federer on Thursday. The two-time finalist (2002 and 2004) enjoys the slow pace of the Rebound Ace at Melbourne Park. Safin defeated Pete Sampras for the 2000 U.S. Open crown, but since then his performances have been erratic. Third time lucky? A winner of 14 career titles and $10.9 million in prize money.
07:00 LLEYTON HEWITT: First Australian in final since Pat Cash in 1988. Hewitt won four titles in 2004 and reached the U.S. Open final, only to lose to Roger Federer. The 23-year-old has added several pounds of muscles as a result of gym workouts during the off-season and is hoping to become the first Australian man to win since Mark Edmondson in 1976. The Adelaide-born finished 2001 and 2002 as world champion on the back of two Masters Cup successes and 2001 U.S. Open and 2002 Wimbledon crowns.
06:45 SAFIN'S ROAD TO THE FINAL: First round - Novak Djokovic (Serbia and Montenegro) 6-0 6-2 6-1; Second round - Bohdan Ulihrach (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-1 6-3; Third round – 28 Mario Ancic (Croatia) 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4; Fourth round - Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-2); Quarter-finals – 20 Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 6-2 6-4 6-2; Semi-finals – 1 Roger Federer (Switzerland) 5-7 6-4 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 9-7
06:45 HEWITT'S ROAD TO THE FINAL: First round - Arnaud Clement (France) 6-3 6-4 6-1; Second round - James Blake (USA) 4-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-0 6-3; Third round – 25 Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-4; Fourth round - Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7-5 3-6 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-2; Quarter-finals - 9 David Nalbandian (Argentina) 6-3 6-2 1-6 3-6 10-8; Semi-finals – 2 Andy Roddick (U.S.) 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1
06:30 Join eurosport.com/co.uk for live scoring and comments of the Australian Open men's singles final, between Australian Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin of Russia from 09:30cet! You can also watch the final on Eurosport TV network, but don't panic if you don't have access to the TV network, by clicking on the live audio link on the website's homepage, you can listen to Simon Reed and Frew McMillan!
Hewitt and Rasheed a perfect match
Leo Schlink
31jan05
Herald Sun
ROGER Rasheed was on a hiding to nothing in June 2003.
Lleyton Hewitt had just lost to Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the third round of the French Open, failing to cash in on a two-sets-to-love lead.
Hewitt's coach Jason Stoltenberg resigned. The amiable New South Welshman had been on the road for 16 seasons and Melbourne and a young family beckoned.
Hewitt's management quickly launched the search for Stoltenberg's replacement. There was a push -- albeit short-lived -- for a former champion Swede to take over.
By comparison, Rasheed was a far less decorated player. An outstanding junior who won grand slam singles matches, his career was stopped by a back problem.
Already in Hewitt's employ as a fitness trainer, Rasheed was promoted to the role of coach.
The sceptics had a field day.
This was the same Roger Rasheed who had been verbally assailed by Collingwood president Eddie McGuire for his urgings as ground announcer at Football Park during Port Adelaide matches.
There was no reference to Rasheed's background as a SANFL footballer with Sturt, nor that he had a successful fitness business or that he had played Ivan Lendl at the Australian Open.
He was nothing more than a cheerleader, his detractors sneered.
Unlike John McEnroe, then captaining the US Davis Cup team, the critics claimed Rasheed did not have the playing pedigree to enhance world No. 1 Hewitt.
And it hardly helped when, at the first tournament Hewitt played with Rasheed as his mentor, the world champion was beaten in the first round of Wimbledon by Croat qualifier Ivo Karlovic.
Two years later, McEnroe's captaincy will be remembered as one of the worst Davis Cup failures, while Rasheed has built a fine reputation as a motivator and coach.
Australian Davis Cup coach Wally Masur has enjoyed an insider's view of the Rasheed-Hewitt dynamic and understands why the partnership has been successful.
"Roger has been very good for Lleyton for a lot of different reasons," Masur said. "There is that whole football-style passion for everything they do.
" 'Rash' loves the pre-season style of preparation and he is very analytical with the ins and outs of Lleyton's game.
"He studies videos, he watches other players. His day does not start and finish with Lleyton's matches.
"It's nothing for Roger to call either me or 'Fitzy' (Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald) up and ask us to jot down 10 things about Lleyton's game.
"He's always bouncing things around, trying to find an edge."
Masur said Rasheed's confidence in the wake of the Wimbledon loss to Karlovic did not shake the South Australian's belief of how Hewitt's game needed to be modified.
"It was a big thing," Masur said. "He had taken over the No. 1 player in the world and he could have sat there and cruised a bit with it.
"But he didn't. He decided there were things in Lleyton's game he could improve and he wanted to make him bigger and stronger. He's also added a more attacking dimension.
"Look, the foundations had been laid by Peter Smith, who was the perfect coach for Lleyton as a junior, and then Darren Cahill, who was also very good for Lleyton. The same with 'Stolts'.
"Then Rash came along and he gets a bagging. Now I think everybody can see that he's perfect for Lleyton.
"Lleyton's getting older and it's true to say Roger's personality is drawing Lleyton's personality out a bit more. He's more extroverted and appears to be enjoying the tour more.
"In many ways, Roger is the perfect package for Lleyton because he's got a football background, understands exercise physiology very well and knows what it's like to be a grand slam player."
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How Hewitt invests his millions
Shaun Phillips
31jan05
Herald Sun
THINGS have always come quickly to Lleyton Hewitt.
Not necessarily easily -- you don't win your first men's title at 16 by cruising -- but certainly swiftly.
At 20, Hewitt won his first Grand Slam -- the US Open.
He then became the youngest season-ending world No. 1.
At 21, Hewitt was a Wimbledon champion.
Now, a month shy of his 24th birthday, Hewitt is president of one of the biggest one-man enterprises going round.
His drive as a young boy, famously first harnessed by his parents, Glynn and Cherilyn, has paid big dividends.
Hewitt remains loyal to his Adelaide roots -- and the Australian tax man -- and still calls the South Australian capital home.
For the one month each year he does not spend travelling the world, Hewitt throws his racquet bag in the laundry of his mansion in exclusive West Lakes.
He bought the five-bedroom, two-storey, one-cinema shack a couple of years ago for $3.2 million.
Hewitt shares his digs with his best mate, Adelaide Crows magician Andrew McLeod.
His property portfolio extends to three adjoining beachfront blocks in his home town, plus at least one major investment in Melbourne.
During future Australian Opens, Hewitt will be able to move out of his regular Crown suite and into his own penthouse on St Kilda Rd.
Hewitt reportedly paid nearly $4 million for a four-bedroom pad in the Yve tower, now being built.
True to form, Hewitt found love early as well.
Belgian ace Kim Clijsters ended her engagement to the Australian in October, but the boy has bounced back.
He's now happily squiring Home and Away starlet Bec Cartwright.
The union even survived an early road trip from Adelaide to Sydney.
It would have been a quick ride, however, given it was done in Lleyton's $420,000 Ferrari.
Hewitt pays for his lifestyle by winning tennis tournaments -- 24 of them before last night's Open final.
On-court earnings in eight years are nudging $19 million, but these days tournament cheques are dwarfed by those coming in from sponsors.
His biggest deal is with sporting goods giant Nike.
That contract alone is said to be worth $10 million a year.
Hewitt wields a Yonex racquet, and is paid up to $4 million a year to do so.
He doesn't get involved in many advertising deals outside tennis, the Sorbent TV ads a memorable exception proving the rule.
His manager, Tom Ross, from the worldwide Octagon group, says there is a simple reason for this.
"Basically, Lleyton's earnings are at a level where his time is too valuable to be doing a lot of small things," Mr Ross said yesterday.
"Lleyton has video game deals with Xbox and a Japanese company, Namco, which are ongoing.
"He's done ads for a noodle company, Nissin, in Japan; but really, we take a more long-term view with his deals."
Ross said Hewitt had much to offer commercial backers. "He's youthful, he's fit, he's attractive, and he's had some high-profile relationships on top of everything else. And the fact is, he lives a very wholesome life," he said.
"He's a loyal friend and proud Australian.
"He wears it on his sleeve on court, but I wouldn't swap him for anyone."
Hewitt frequently takes a large entourage on his travels, which of course eats into his earnings.
Cherilyn and Glynn must be the most recognisable mum and dad in Australian sport, while Glynn doubles as Lleyton's investment manager.
Coach Roger Rasheed is a close companion on court and off.
And Melbourne chiropractor and physio Andrea Bisaz is on hand when needed.
This summer, Hewitt has taken his Crows connection even further, engaging Adelaide's fitness man Matt Norris to keep his body going.
Sister Jaslyn, and now Cartwright, add glamour to the players' box.
Hewitt is generous to friends, and has regularly had a friend travel the circuit with him.
Another mate, Hayden Eckermann, has been a regular companion and has been courtside again this fortnight.
Ross is a regular at the Grand Slam events.
But for all the material rewards, Hewitt has always played down mammon as a motivation.
"You throw five bucks out there in a tie-break and I want to win it," he said in 2002.
"It's not how much money I'm playing for.
"I'm playing because I love the game.
"I love competing."
Herald Sun
30jan05
THE nation has jumped on the Lleyton Hewitt juggernaut, with record numbers of TV viewers watching.
Armchair tennis fans are tuning into his centre court battles with Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian and Andy Roddick at Melbourne Park.
TV rating figures for the Hewitt vs Roddick semi-final match on Friday night peaked with 2,997,000 viewers nationwide -- the highest number ever in the history of the Australian Open.
In Melbourne, the match averaged 856,750 TV viewers, peaking at more than 1 million about 10.30pm.
Channel Seven will capitalise on Hewitt's battle against Marat Safin tonight at 7.30pm. The Australian Open coverage starts at 6.30pm with a one-hour special on Hewitt's rise through the tennis ranks titled C'mon Hewitt.
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January 30, 2005
From: Sunday Mail (SA)