Hewitt wins Queen's Club again
By KRYSTYNA RUDZKI
.c The Associated Press
 
LONDON (AP) - Lleyton Hewitt won the Queen's Club championship for the second
straight year, defeating Pete Sampras in the semifinal and then downing Tim
Henman in two tiebreakers in the title match.

The semifinals and final of the $800,000 Wimbledon tuneup were both played on
Sunday because rain washed out Saturday's matches.

The outcome clearly establishes Hewitt as a threat for Wimbledon when the
Grand Slam event begins June 25.

The third-seeded Aussie downed Sampras 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a rematch of last
year's Queen's final. He then moved to center court to beat Henman 7-6 (3),
7-6 (3). The fourth-seeded Englishman downed 1992 champ Wayne Ferreira of
South Africa 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

In the final, a double fault in the first-set tiebreaker handed Hewitt four
set points at 6-2.

In the second set, Henman broke for a 5-4 lead but Hewitt broke back
immediately. In the tiebreak, Henman netted a forehand to give Hewitt three
match points. Hewitt won when Henman sent a forehand long.

Sampras does not regard Sunday's loss as a setback in his bid for an eighth
Wimbledon title.

``All things considered it was a productive week,'' he said. ``It would have
been nice go into Wimbledon having won a tournament, but I've got a few
matches under my belt. I feel pretty good. It wasn't meant to be today.''

Sampras, seeded second, said he had trouble with the breeze on a cool,
overcast day.

``I had a hard time with my volleys and the ball toss,'' he said. ``But also
Lleyton was playing very well.''

The turning point came halfway through the second set. Sampras questioned the
umpire after his first serve was overruled. Hewitt soon broke at love to make
it 5-3.

``I was playing aggressively and, all of a sudden in the middle of the
second, set I put in a couple of loose points,'' Sampras said. ``He had a
couple of good returns and he just went on a great roll.''

Sampras lost in the second round of the French Open, the only Grand Slam he's
yet to win. But he will have no problem shaking his disappointment and
getting ready for Wimbledon.

``If you can't get motivated for Wimbledon - that's our Super Bowl - you
shouldn't be playing,'' he said. ``I feel a lot more relaxed coming in this
year than last year so that could help. I still feel I'm at that level I was
at last year and the years before. Getting older on grass is good because you
have that experience.''

AP-NY-06-17-01 1236EDT


Tennis-Hewitt beats Henman to retain Queen's Club title
By Ossian Shine

LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Australia's Lleyton Hewitt beat home favourite
Tim Henman 7-6 7-6 to retain his Stella Artois ATP title at London's Queen's
Club on Sunday.

Hewitt, who earlier in the day came from a set behind to beat Pete Sampras
3-6 6-3 6-2 in the semifinals, was in blistering form on the Centre Court as
he consigned Henman to another runners-up finish at the $800,000 grasscourt
tournament.

Henman, losing finalist here in 1999, looked the stronger in early exchanges
and earned the first break point of the match. Hewitt saved it, though, to
hang on for 4-4.

The players left the court with Henman leading 6-5 as light rain threatened
to disrupt the day's play, but returned just 12 minutes later to resume.

Hewitt held to force a tiebreak and broke immediately when Henman pushed a
brittle forehand long.

Two more forehand errors gave Hewitt a 3-0 lead and Henman never recovered. A
mis-fired backhand gave the third seed the set 7-3 in the tiebreak after 54
minutes.

Hewitt turned up the heat and Henman was forced to save four break points in
the sixth game and three in the eighth as the Australian continued to hold
his serve comfortably.

But in the ninth game Henman finally got the breakthrough his attacking play
deserved.

PUNCHED AWAY
He leaned into a forehand service return, almost catching it on the
half-volley. His momentum carried him to the net and he punched away a firm
forehand volley for the break.

Hewitt rallied, however, and broke back in the next game in his ninth break
point of the match.

The Australian did well to nose in front 6-5 having to fight off three more
break points for Henman.

Henman, cheered by a patriotic home crowd on a cold, windy day in west
London, punched right back to force a second tiebreak.

Again it was Hewitt who scored the first point, rifling a forehand passing
shot past the advancing Briton. He raced into a 5-2 lead before clinching
victory 7-3 when a Henman approach shot drifted over the baseline.

In his semifinal, Henman beat Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 5-7 6-4 6-2.

 

Henman to meet Hewitt in Queen's final
By Ossian Shine

LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Tim Henman stormed back from a set down to beat
seventh seed and former champion Wayne Ferreira 5-7 6-4 6-2 on Sunday and
move into the final of the $800,000 Queen's grasscourt tournament.

The fourth-seeded Briton will face defending champion Lleyton Hewitt in the
final later on Sunday after the Australian shocked seven-times Wimbledon
champion Pete Sampras 3-6 6-3 6-2 on a windswept Court One.

Henman took early control of the match -- held over after persistent rain
washed out Saturday's schedule -- slipping into a 5-3 lead in the opening
set.

But with the opener in his grasp, Henman's game fell apart as a series of
groundstroke errors, double faults and loose volleys allowed the South
African back into it.

Ferreira reeled off the next four games, breaking Henman again in the 12th
game to take the opener 7-5.

The Briton came out for the second in determined fashion, however, and broke
immediately with some solid returns as Ferreira's languid groundstrokes lost
their edge.

That break was the only one he needed and he served out the set 6-4 to force
a decider.

Again it was the fourth seed who broke first, for 3-1, and again for 5-2 as
he took control.

He fought off a break point in the following game with some brave serving but
still Ferreira refused to fold.

The South African, champion here in 1992, saved a first match point with a
powerful double-fisted backhand return past Henman but on the second Ferreira
netted a forehand.

Third-seeded Hewitt also bounced back from a set down to beat Sampras, the
holder of a record 13 Grand Slam titles.

Sampras started confidently enough, wrapping up the opening set of the match
but Hewitt's devastating returns soon took their toll.

The 20-year-old baseliner cracked returns back on to Sampras's toes or sent
them whistling past the American as he levelled.

Hewitt broke immediately for 1-0 and then raced into a 5-1 lead before
Sampras again registered on the scoreboard.

Hewitt and Henman have played twice before, the Australian winning on both
occasions.

08:18 06-17-01

<<<<< END >>>>>

Sampras, Hewitt advance at Stella Artois Championships
SportsTicker

LONDON (Ticker) -- Last year's finalists each won twice Friday and will meet
in Saturday's semifinals of the $775,000 Stella Artois Championships, a
grasscourt tuneup for Wimbledon. 

Second-seeded Pete Sampras of the United States and defending champion
Lleyton Hewitt cruised through their respective rain-delayed third-round
matches before moving through the quarterfinals at Queen's Club. 

Sampras defeated fellow American and sixth seed Jan-Michael Gambill in the
quarterfinals, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5.  Earlier in the day, the seven-time Wimbledon
champion dismissed Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands, 6-3, 6-4. 

The third-seeded Hewitt overcame the partisan crowd to get by 12th-seeded
Greg Rusedski of Britain, 6-4, 6-4. The 20-year-old Australian also posted a
6-3, 6-2 third-round victory over Byron Black of Zimbabwe. 

In last year's final at Queen's Club, Hewitt beat Sampras, arguably the
greatest grasscourt player ever, 6-4, 6-4. 

Despite the departure of Rusedski, the British crowd still has a local for
whom to cheer.  Fourth-seeded Tim Henman moved into the semifinals with a 7-6
(7-4), 6-3 win over Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, who also lost to the
London resident at Wimbledon last year. 

The British No. 1 will meet seventh-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa in
the semifinals. Ferreira downed Peter Wessels of the Netherlands, 6-3, 7-5. 

Hewitt into third round
London, England, June 13 ¨Aussie ousts Malisse

Lleyton Hewitt began his defence of the Stella Artois Championship in confident style, defeating Belgian Xavier Malisse in straight sets.

Despite the quick surface, the match was mainly won and lost on the baseline, with Hewitt just edging by dint of his more consistent winners.

Hewitt, the third seed, said he was still feeling his way on the surface, having only arrived to practice on Sunday. The Aussie 20-year-old stayed at the French Open after his quarter-final defeat by Juan Carlos Ferrero to support girlfriend Kim Clijsters in the womens final.

Its always hard (adapting to grass), he said. The biggest thing for me is the footwork and bending a bit more. Youre so used to sliding, making the change in two to three days is hard work.

But Hewitt said his recent Davis Cup experiences had put him in good stead for the grass season.

It helps me playing Davis Cup matches, he said.

Ive got how to play on grass at the back of my mind. The main thing I have to work on is serving on grass.

END