Hewitt beats Safin at Team Cup final; Rafter withdraws to rest sore arm

May 26, 2001

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) -- Lleyton Hewitt handed Marat Safin, the second-seeded player at next week's French Open, a 6-3, 6-4 loss Saturday as Australia took a 1-0 lead over Russia at the World Team Cup final.

Patrick Rafter was scheduled to play Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the second singles of the best of three tie, but withdrew to rest an inflammation around his elbow on his right serving arm.

The two-time U.S. Open champion said he needed to rest the injury, a chronic problem, in order to play the French Open starting Monday.

``I'm sorry,'' Rafter told spectators at center court. ``I tried in practice, but I've played quite a few matches here and my arm is quite sore.''

Rafter, plagued by injuries, was coming off a six-week layoff due to tendinitis in his right wrist.

Hewitt, the sixth seed in Paris, broke the Russian's serve to take a 4-3 lead in the second set in a battle of 20-year-olds with a chance to win in Paris. If both advance, they could face each other in the semifinals there.

The moody Safin, who has struggled to just an 11-10 record this year after soaring up the rankings last season, made three straight errors in the decisive break.

When he lost the game, he slammed a ball into the stands in frustration and drew a warning. Earlier in the week, he broke a racket and accused the referee of being biased against Russians.

Scott Draper will replace Rafter in the second singles at the $2.1 million event, with the doubles to be played later.

ENDHewitt downs Safin, Rafter injured
From our wire services
26may01

DUESSELDORF: Lleyton Hewitt struck the first blow for Australia in the $US2.1 million ($A4.08 million) World Team Cup championship final by defeating Russian Marat Safin 6-3 6-4 here tonight.

But Patrick Rafter tilt at next week's French Open came under a cloud when he withdrew from the final with inflammation in his right arm and elbow. 

He was replaced in the final by Scott Draper who faces Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the second singles match to give Australia the Cup. 

"I'm sorry I can't play today. I played a lot of tennis this week and my arm is sore," Rafter said after Hewitt's singles win. 

"Someone better than me will be playing today." 

Rafter told reporters later that he has had the injury for many years but that it hadn't been this bad in about four years. 

"It's an injury that normally would go away after a deep massage," he said. 

"But we've been massaging it all week and it's stayed with me - it's not a tear. 

He said he would play at Roland Garros if the arm did not worsen.

Aussies take world team title
Dusseldorf, Germany, May 26 ¨C Doubles clinches it 

Australia shrugged off the sudden loss through injury of singles player Patrick Rafter to beat Russian 2-1 and claim the World Team Championships title. 

Lleyton Hewitt got the Australians off to a winning start when he overcame Marat Safin 6-3, 6-4 but Scott Draper, deputising for Rafter, was then outclassed by Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-2, 6-4 as the Russians levelled the scores. 

Draper recovered however to team up with Wayne Arthurs in the doubles to pull off a shock 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-4 victory over Kafelnikov and Safin. 

Earlier Rafter revealed that he had been fighting inflammation in his right arm all week, after he competed in both singles and doubles in the first round. 

The problem has bothered him many times over the years, and he blames a long lay-off and practising with lighter balls than those used in Dusseldorf while he was training at home in Bermuda. 

"I've been able to maintain it in the past and if it gets bad I've been able to do very deep massage and it goes. In this case it hasn't gone. It's stayed with me and it's getting worse," the Australian explained. 

Rafter will attempt to play at next week's French Open at Roland Garros, but if the pain increases further he will not hesitate to pull out in order to heal the arm in time for the grass court season. 

He has already decided to withdraw from the doubles, if his partner Andrew Kratzmann can find an alternative partner. 

"I probably will play the French Open if it stays the same, but the performance won't be great," said Rafter. 

"I'm pretty sure it'll be better if I take a few days off, but if it's not I'll be three-quarter serving and relying on a lot of volleys, I guess. But if it got really, really bad I would definitely pull out and get myself ready for the grass courts." 

Safin's temper again came close to boiling over as he failed to overcome the tenacious Hewitt. The Australian fired a warning in the opening game as he sent down two aces, and although he then struggled on his serve at times and hit six double-faults, he was always the steadier player. 

Only one break of serve in each set gave Hewitt victory. He broke to lead 3-1, but then had to save two break points in the next game before taking the set on his fifth set point. 

The second set was equally close, with Hewitt breaking for 4-3 and Safin drawing a warning for hitting a ball out of the stadium. 

Draper hit eight aces against Kafelnikov, but the Russian quickly gained the upper hand by breaking in the third game and again for 5-2. In the second set, just one break for 3-2 was enough to give Kafelnikov victory. 

In the doubles, Russia outplayed Australia in the second set after losing the first on a tiebreaker, and the final set remained evenly balanced until Kafelnikov's serve was broken in the final game.

Rafter in doubt with arm injury 

PARIS
Sunday 27 May 2001


THE worrying friendship factor aside, Pat Rafter said he will face a searching task to advance past a tricky first-round meeting with compatriot Wayne Arthurs at the French Open, which starts tomorrow.

The Australian Davis Cup teammates and good friends face what Rafter predicted would be an intriguing match on the clay of Roland Garros, where Rafter was a semi-finalist in 1997 and Arthurs a first-round casualty in his only other appearance last year.

Rafter will start favorite against 58th-ranked Arthurs, not just because of his rank and seeding of eighth, but also because of a superior claycourt record.

Rafter's main concern ahead of this week's French Open, however, will not be his opponents, but a fresh injury concern, after he withdrew from the final of the World Team Cup championship final in Dusseldorf, with inflammation in his right arm and elbow.

"I'm sorry I can't play today," Rafter said. "I played a lot of tennis this week and my arm is sore." Should he be right to play, Rafter will have fresh memories of Arthurs' straight-sets victory in their previous match, on a hardcourt in Florida just two months ago. Rafter regarded the clash against the bullet-serving Victorian as a potential banana-skin. "It's not much fun playing other guys from your own country. We're good mates," Rafter said. "All that will be put aside when we get out on the court, but it's going to be (a) good, tough match. He's got a great serve and he's able to play from the baseline as well at the moment on clay. He has time. I've somehow got to get his serve back and I've got a chance."

With Arthurs, Rafter is faced with a vexing conundrum. He wants steamy, slow conditions to help negate Arthurs' serve. But with two recent retirements in key Davis Cup ties on clay to his name, Rafter is also acutely aware of the need to preserve his body for what he hopes will be a two-week campaign.

"When you play someone like Wayne, he doesn't allow you to play your game. He doesn't allow me to dictate and do what I want to do on the court," he said.

"But at the same time if the conditions are heavy, then I'd like to probably favor my chances a bit more than Wayne, maybe. I think it's important, though, to have some quick matches, and not to be out on the court too long. If you spend too much energy early on, it's very, very difficult."

Rafter was planning to play doubles as well at Roland Garros, although that prospect may well be shelved now.

Fifth-seeded Hewitt could revisit the Davis Cup final if he progresses to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, where he would meet in-form fourth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain. Hewitt begins his French campaign with a comfortable-looking first-rounder against French wildcard Paul-Henri Mathieu.

And the 20-year-old Australian, who toppled the world's best clay-courter in Gustavo Kuerten on the surface in the Davis Cup last month, rated himself a strong chance of bettering his fourth-round appearance here last year - with his first grand slam title, no less.

"I haven't been there in the final of a grand slam yet. I am definitely not the favorite, that's for sure," Hewitt said. "There is no doubt that Guga (Kuerten) is the No.1 favorite, but I give myself an outside chance, for sure."

Another Australian, 51st-ranked Andrew Ilie, faces a testing first-round assignment against 14th-seeded Swede Thomas Enqvist. Former Australian Jelena Dokic, the 15th seed after her Italian Open win, drew Czech Adriana Gersi first up. - AAP

26 May, 2001 , DUSSELDORF , 

RAFTER INJURY SCARE 

Pat Rafter could be in a race against time to be ready for the French Open which begins in Paris on Monday. 

The Australian was due to play Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final of the Arag World Team Championship but withdrew because of inflammation his right forearm. Team trainer Andrea Bizas says they have to wait for the swelling to go down for further treatment.

"I will play the French Open but I don't think my performance will be great," said Rafter. "It is important to have rest. "I've had this problem for many years and I have been able to maintain it with deep massage but this time it has stayed with me. It is something that can go overnight or in a week or in four weeks."

The injury came up after Australia's first match against Spain and Rafter woke up the following morning with his arm being quite sore. It is not an acute injury, it is overuse of the arm and it is bad enough not to train.

"It's disappointing and it is a minor setback . I could have gone out an played but it would have been extra painful and on court I would have been only 70% and you can't play like that against someone in the top ten. It would have been a pointless exercise," said Rafter.

Rafter is hopeful of a Tuesday start as he needs two or three days off. However, if it got "really, really bad I would pull out (of the French Open) and get myself ready for the grass courts". 





26 May, 2001 , DUSSELDORF , 

AUSTRALIA CAPTURE WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 

Australia won the Arag World Team Championship for the third time from a record eight finals defeating Russia 2-1. It came down to the doubles match to decide the title and Australia was well served a pair of left handers, Wayne Arthurs and Scott Draper. The win places Australia in equal second place with the number of championships

Lleyton Hewitt started the ball rolling with a stunning victory over Marat Safin which led the Aussie to declare the 6-3, 6-4 score line, which levelled their head-to-head record at 2-2, as the best match he has played since soundly beating Gustavo Kuerten at the Davis Cup quarterfinal last month in Brazil.

Hewitt sparkled with the way he played the ball. He said: "I played great out there. I didn't make any unforced errors, I took my chances when I needed to, I served well, I moved great. Marat is a tough player to play especially on a slow surface. He is so powerful that he can hit winners on any surface. I just tried to weather the storm and just tried to make him play that one extra shot."

The fact that Hewitt beat the second seed for the French Open comfortably, it was more the way he played that will give him satisfaction going into Roland Garros, and if he can reproduce that across seven matches, then he will give the title "a good shake". But, Hewitt still sees himself as an outside chance, he says that he has not experienced playing on the last Sunday of a Grand Slam, but he has given himself the best possible chance of playing well over the next two weeks.

He says it would not surprise him if he was to still be alive in the tournament on the final weekend. He believes in himself and that his game would stack up against anyone on the other side of the court.

Last year he reached the round of 16 in Paris but he feels with each Grand Slam under his belt his chances of lifting the trophy have improved. The big stepping stone was the 2000 US Open when he reached the semis and lost a close one to Pete Sampras. He said he learnt a lot from that campaign.

"I am definitely a better player (compared to this time last year)," he said. "I felt I was hitting the ball pretty well last year but I have learned a lot in myself and how to play on clay in the last twelve months. It has made me a better [player and I have also had better wins on clay, especially in the Davis Cup in Barcelona and Brazil. It gives me more confidence in myself."

Pat Rafter was supposed to play Kafelnikov but the Australian withdrew because of inflammation and pain in his right forearm and could be in a race against time to be ready for the French Open. 

"I will play the French Open but I don't think my performance will be great," said Rafter who meets Wayne Arthurs in the first round. "It is important to have rest. "I've had this problem for many years and I have been able to maintain it with deep massage but this time it has stayed with me. It is something that can go overnight or in a week or in four weeks."

So Draper came in for the injured Rafter to take on Kafelnikov. The Russian however required 59 minutes to level the final, winning 6-2, 6-4.

Kafelnikov broke the left handers serve in the third game and again in the seventh game before serving out the first set. The greater match fitness under Kafelnikov's belt and his greater preference for clay was evident. Draper was placed under pressure every time he served. Only once in the first set was the Russian taken to deuce.

The second set followed a similar pattern. Certainly Kafelnikov, who had lost to Rafter the last two occasions (head-to-head is 3-2 Kafelnikov) they played, was more comfortable playing Draper and broke serve once, in the fifth game. Again only once did Draper manage to take Kafelnikov to deuce but it was in the last game of the match.

In that deciding doubles rubber, Arthurs and Draper were considered very much the underdogs against Kafelnikov and Safin but the Aussies were never shaken or stirred even after dropping the second set. They remained firm and their net play was as a solid as a rock. It helped that Arthurs and Draper did not have to play catch up tennis in the third set. 

At 5-4 with Kafelnikov serving to stay in the final, Arthurs and Draper kept drilling the ball back. Down match point Kafelnikov served to Arthurs who rifled a forehand back at Kafelnikov who was coming to the net. It jammed him and he volleyed it into the net to surrender the final 7-6, 1-6, 6-4.

"It's unbelievable. I won a challenge against Richard Fromberg and got a wild card to the French Open and I came here to be around the guys and then for me to play and us win is unbelievable. I am on high. It's the first time I have played for Australia and it can only get better," said Draper. 



Australia wins World Team Cup 
By ROY KAMMERER
Associated Press Writer 
May 26, 2001 


DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) -- Australia won the World Team Cup on Saturday, overcoming the withdrawal of an ailing Pat Rafter and getting a big victory by Lleyton Hewitt over Marat Safin. 

The Aussies captured their third title in this $2.1 million event -- a tuneup for the French Open -- when they won the deciding doubles in the best-of-three series. 

Hewitt defeated Safin 6-3, 6-4, breaking Safin to lead 4-3 in the second set. Safin, struggling with an 11-10 record this year, is seeded second at the French Open, which begins Monday. 

Yevgeny Kafelnikov evened the final for Russia with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Scott Draper, who replaced Rafter at the last minute and has played just seven matches this year. 

Wayne Arthurs and Draper then upset Safin and Kafelnikov 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4 to add to Australia's 1999 and 1979 titles. Russia lost in the finals last year to Slovakia. 

``It's nice to have a win over the guy that's sitting second going into the French Open,'' Hewitt said. ``I wouldn't be surprised if I reached the final. I believe I can beat anybody out there.'' 

Rafter, a two-time U.S. Open champion, pulled out of the singles and doubles Saturday to rest his inflamed elbow on his serving arm for the French Open. 

``I'm sorry,'' Rafter told spectators from center court. ``I tried in practice today, but I've played quite a few matches here and my arm is quite sore.'' 

Rafter was coming off a six-week layoff because of tendinitis in his right wrist. 

Kafelnikov, the 1996 French Open champion, won three of four matches at this event, where 12 of the world's top 15 polished up their clay-court games. 

``I've got my belief back and everybody knows I'm hard to stop when I get things rolling,'' the Russian said of the French Open. ``I think there are about eight favorites, including Pete Sampras. He surprised me at how well he played here.'' 

Sampras and the United States finished tied for first in the group with Russia. But Russia advanced to the final because it won the head-to-head matchup. 

Hewitt raced to a 4-1 first-set lead in 15 minutes against Safin in a match between two young players with a chance to win in Paris. 

Hewitt frustrated Safin by chasing down every one of the 6-foot-4 Russian's drop volleys while driving him around the court with his ground strokes. 

Safin then made three straight errors in the decisive break. When the Russian lost the game, he slammed a ball into the stands and drew a warning. Earlier in the week, he broke a racket and accused the referee of bias against Russians. 

Hewitt and Safin could face each other again in the French Open semifinals. 

Hewitt is one of the few Australians comfortable on clay. He thinks he's ready to win a Grand Slam event. 

``I think for me the breakthrough was making the semifinals at the U.S. Open, finally getting past the third and fourth rounds,'' Hewitt said. ``I learned a lot from that campaign.'' 

Hewitt has some impressive wins on clay the past year, especially in the Davis Cup when Australia reached the final. One came against defending French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten in Brazil. 

``I like those situations, putting on a show in the big matches,'' Hewitt said. ``I'm lucky to be born with that.''