Lleyton defeats Roddick in quarterfinal Miami Masters Series March 28 2001 2 articles

Hewitt Ends Roddick's Run
(The ATP Site)

Lleyton Hewitt marched into the semifinals at the Ericsson Open with a 6-3,
6-2 win over Andy Roddick.

Hewitt is less than two years older than Roddick but with ATP career titles
and a US Open semifinal spot to his name, he is far more experienced. Hewitt
used all his speed, agility and court sense to teach Roddick a lesson in
match play.

Roddick may have been troubled by cramping in his hand but he refused to
offer any excuses afterwards. "All the credit should go to him," he said. "It
makes you think about it when every serve is coming back. That's his
strength, he's got great reactions and he's a great player. He makes you beat
him."

Hewitt moves on to a semifinal clash with either Jan-Michael Gambill or
Gaston Gaudio.

"I went out there with the attitude that I had to be solid right from the
start," said Hewitt of playing Roddick," so I didn't go out there and play
silly tennis. Once I got into the match I felt like I knew his game pretty
well."

Roddick said he had plenty of positives to take away from a week in which he
defeated both Marcelo Rios and Pete Sampras. "It's proved to me that I can do
it," he said. "Hopefully I'll get to play the big boys more often now. It's
been a great week."
 
END--http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/

Hewitt ends young Roddick's Ericsson Open dreams
By Sandra Harwitt

MIAMI, March 28 (Reuters) - Lleyton Hewitt, two years older and two years
more experienced than Andy Roddick, ended the American teenager's Ericsson
Open title dreams with a 6-3 6-2 quarter-final win on Wednesday.

"I went out there with the attitude I had to be solid right from the start,"
said the seventh-seeded Australian after the 72-minute match.

"I didn't go out there and play silly tennis. I think I played within
myself."

Roddick, 18, who was troubled by an injury to his right hand, may be out of
the competition but he can look back at his efforts with pride, especially
the third-round victory over Pete Sampras.

RODDICK'S RISE
The youngster's performance will also allow him to rise from 119 in the world
into the top 100 for the first time in his short career.

"It is the best week of my career so far, so I'm not going to go into some
tantrum because it wasn't my day," said Roddick, the 2000 world junior
champion.

"Any time you lose, you don't feel good. But as long as I go in and give it
my best shot and know that I didn't hold anything back, I can live with it.

"I think he's difficult for anybody to play against," Roddick said of his
first career encounter against Hewitt.

"He puts a lot of balls back and he makes you beat him. If you are having a
good day, if you are having an off day, it is going to be a long day."

The Australian broke serve in the fourth game of the first set and again in
the first, third and seventh games of the second.

The only time Roddick was able to break the feisty Hewitt's delivery was in
the sixth game of the second set.

Hewitt now plays either Jan-Michael Gambill of the U.S. or Gaston Gaudio of
Argentina in the semifinals.

Youth served at Ericsson - Roddick, 18, leads charge of young stars into
quarterfinals
BY MARISSA SILVERA 
(The Miami Herald)
You might call this men's quarterfinal match at the Ericsson Open the battle
of the fearless ones.
One is the United States' hope for the future who burst onto the scene with a
victory over Pete Sampras on Sunday. The other is Australia's hottest player,
having won four singles titles last year at age 19 and remaining atop his
game with a title at an Australian Open hard court tune-up at Sydney in
January.
Andy Roddick, 18, faces seventh-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, 20, in today's
showdown at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park. Roddick is the youngest male
quarterfinalist in the tournament's 17-year history.
What is remarkable about these two players is they play with an uncanny
confidence for such youthful minds.
``I think a lot is just sort of born in you, I suppose, said Hewitt. ``That's
how I played my footie [Australian rules football] when I was growing up, as
well, and I just carried it over into my tennis. It really wasn't something I
had to work on or a weakness at any point that I felt I had to get better. I
think it's just something that's just in you. You can't do much about it.

Hewitt, 23-5 this season, advanced to the semifinals -- his first ever -- of
last year's Ericsson Open before losing to Sampras.

Hewitt showed some of his resilience in his fourth-round match against
Fabrice Santoro on Tuesday. He dropped the first set 3-6, but responded 6-1,
6-2. This was the first of his three matches at the Ericsson that went to
three sets.
``It was a weird match. I didn't really feel in it at the start, and it was
tough conditions, Hewitt said. ``I had a strategy, and I didn't really play
to that in the first set. Then in the second set I sort of put the foot down
and started going after his forehand, coming to the net more. I served well,
and overall I got better as the match went on.
Roddick, who received a wild card to the main draw, endured a rain delay and
12-10 tiebreaker to beat Andrei Pavel 7-6 (12-10), 6-2.
The intensity in today's match on Stadium Court may climb to a new level,
with Hewitt's fiery fist-pumping to energize the crowd.
Before he takes the court, the Aussie is already charged by Rocky anthem Eye
of the Tiger, a song by Survivor.
Once on the court, his speed and movement take over.
But Roddick may elate the crowd with his sizzling, powerful serve alone.
``It's definitely going to be interesting but just because we're both so
young, Hewitt added. ``I'm sure this isn't going to be the only time we play
each other, either. I'm sure there's going to be probably bigger matches in
Grand Slams down the track and in the next few years.
Meanwhile, the Boca Raton resident wants to emulate Hewitt in other ways.
``I really look up to him because of what he's done at a young age, said
Roddick. ``I haven't done anything compared to him.
END--http://www.miami.com/herald/content/sports/tennis/

Hewitt wears out Rios to advance to semifinals
By BOB BAUM
.c The Associated Press
 
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Marcelo Rios, the No. 1 player in the world three
years ago but plagued by injuries since, was no match for the quick young
legs and devastating return shots of Lleyton Hewitt.

Hewitt, the defending champion and fourth seed, disposed of the
seventh-seeded Chilean 7-5, 6-2 Friday night to advance to the semifinals of
the Franklin Templeton Classic.

After a tough fight through 10 games, Rios succumbed to his own mistakes and
Hewitt's incessant rallies.

Hewitt plays some of his best tennis in Scottsdale, and by his own
estimation, he was better than ever Friday night.

``I think he threw everything he had at me,'' Hewitt said. ``He's forfeited
(with injuries) the last two times when I've been up on him. Tonight I felt
that's the best he's ever played against me, and I just raised my game.''

With the victory, Hewitt, the No. 4 seed, improved to 12-1 in matches in the
Scottsdale events.

In the semifinals, Hewitt will face Francisco Clavet of Spain, who upset
second-seeded Andre Agassi in the first round and beat Nicolas Massu of Chili
in Friday's quarterfinals 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

In the other quarterfinals, Harel Levy, a 22-year-old Israeli, upset No. 6
seed Tim Henman of Britain 6-2, 6-4, and third-seeded Magnus Norman of Sweden
survived a scare from 19-year-old American Mardy Fish 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Both Hewitt and Rios held serve through the first 10 games of the opening set
before the Australian won the final two games.

Rios broke serve in the second game of the second set, but Hewitt came back
to break serve in the next game.

``It was two-love serving and I didn't play a good game,'' Rios said. ``After
that, I'm thinking too much.''

Hewitt said he knew he had to play better than he had all week.

``I knew I was going to have to get a lot of balls back and make him play a
lot in the back of the court,'' he said. ``I reckon I did that as well as
I've ever done that. I feel I moved fantastic.''

Rios said he's far from his old self after groin surgery on both legs last
year.

``It's tough to come back,'' he said. ``I play good one day. One day I play
bad. I'm not playing consistent. If you're not consistent, you're going to be
20th or 30th in the world and never go up with the top players.''

Levy's victory was his first over a top-10 player. Henman, who made it to the
finals in Scottsdale last year, is 10th in the latest 52-week rankings.

Only three seeded players made it to the quarterfinals, and two - Norman and
Hewitt - are in the semis. The top two seeds, Pete Sampras and Agassi, were
ousted Tuesday in the first round.

With 17 winners in 18 ATP events so far this season, upset might be the wrong
word.

``It happens in the men's game when the depth is as strong as it is,'' Henman
said. ``So-called upsets seem to happen, and it has happened this week.''

Henman had seven double faults. He was leading the second set 4-2 but lost
the next four games, two of them on double faults on break points.

Fish, with the support of a big crowd at the Scottsdale Princess Resort, was
thrilled to have played Norman so tough.

``I mean, being in the third set with a guy who's like three or four in the
world is an accomplishment for me,'' Fish said. ``This tournament was so good
for me and my confidence and just my development and knowing I could play
with these guys.''

AP-NY-03-10-01 0156EST

Hewitt advances in Arizona

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, March 8 (Reuters) - Lleyton Hewitt, seeded fourth and
the defending champion, shook off a slow start to dismiss compatriot Richard
Fromberg 3-6 6-1 6-3 on Thursday and move into the quarterfinals at the
$400,000 Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic.

Hewitt's come-from-behind victory set up a Friday night clash with
seventh-seed Marcelo Rios. The Chilean lefthander shook off a sluggish start
before rolling past German Rainier Schuettler 3-6 6-3 6-2.

"I was serving very badly in the first set, but in the second set he gave me
the chance and I took it," said Rios, who had lost four straight first-round
matches entering the desert event.

"I was starting to play better in the last two sets -- I was serving much
better and my whole game was coming around. After being down, I was happy to
come back and win the match."

Hewitt admitted to "not playing my best tennis," but it was good enough to
get through.

"I was definitely scratchy at the start," said Hewitt after raising his 2001
record to 15-3. "It was just tough conditions out there tonight. There was
just so much moisture, it felt so heavy, like I couldn't crack an egg."

After dropping the opener, Hewitt began to heat up under the chilly
conditions to take control, by running off the final six games of the second
set to level the match.

"I knew if I hung in there and just kept making shots back and working the
point, I was going to get the confidence out there," Hewitt said. "That's
what I ended up doing. I went back to the basics ... back to my strengths.
That allowed me to get to the net and start putting pressure on him again."

In the deciding third set, Hewitt used a key service break in the third game
to build a 4-3 lead. Fromberg held three break points to level the set but
failed to capitalize. At 5-3, Hewitt broke service in the final game for the
sixth time to wrap up the win.

"It's good for me to get though this match considering I'm going to play
another night match," Hewitt said. "I'm going to have to raise the level of
my game if I'm going to get past Marcelo."

01:35 03-09-01