Cincinnati - Final
Carlos Moya (16) def. Lleyton Hewitt (1) 7-5 7-6(7-5)

There is a moment in every match when things grow tight, when everything is on the line. These are the moments Lleyton Hewitt lives for. For much of the match, he may be down. His opponent may be controlling most of the points. But come the big moment that shapes the match, Hewitt is almost sure to be in control.

He showed it in the semifinal against Fernando Gonzalez. In the second set, Gonzalez had a chance to break; Hewitt held. Still, Gonzalez looked fine; he was winning on serve. Then -- a brief rough patch. Break point Hewitt. And Hewitt won that point. And the game, and the set, and the match.

Somehow, that gift didn't seem to be with him in the final. Could Hewitt have been tired? After a rain delay at 4-4 in the first, he lost the first set. In the second, he seemed to be in Hewitt Mode as he got up a break -- but then gave it back. The set went to a tiebreak -- and once again, it was Moya taking charge and Hewitt scrambling to get back. And, finally, he failed.

This breaks a streak of ten straight finals won by Hewitt. It doesn't threaten his ranking; he's still #1 in the Entry Rankings, and still on top in the Race. But the aura of invincibility seems to have faded somehow.

For Moya, this is big. He's been winning right and left on clay, but the results on other surfaces hadn't followed. With three clay titles this year, plus the final at Monte Carlo, he was set on dirt. Now he's shown that he can still do it on hardcourts. That's significant, because until now, he had only one hardcourt title (Long Island 1997), and his record at big hardcourt events, other than an Indian Wells final in 1999, was pretty poor. Moya is up to #10 in the rankings, and #5 in the Race. And, even more interesting, we've had two clay players (Canas and Moya) win the last two hardcourt Masters Series.

We have to note another player who is likely to suffer as a result of Moya's win: Thomas Johansson. Johansson is down to #13 in the Race now, and has almost no chance of making the Masters Cup directly. But Moya's move ties him with Albert Costa in the ATP Race. And Costa is only eight points ahead of Juan Carlos Ferrero, and not much ahead of Andy Roddick and Guillermo Canas and Roger Federer and Tommy Haas, most of whom should do better than Costa in the fall events. In other words, the odds are growing higher by the week that neither Costa nor Johansson will be in the top seven in the Race when the year ends, and that means one of them won't go to Shanghai. And the one who won't will probably be Johansson.

MASON, Ohio (AP) -- Carlos Moya didn't surprise many people when he beat Lleyton Hewitt twice this year on clay.

The Spaniard's victory over the No. 1 player in the world on a hard court, however, showed how far Moya has come back.

``Hardcourt is not my favorite surface, but I know I can adapt pretty well,'' Moya said after beating Hewitt 7-5, 7-6 (5) Sunday in the final of the $2.95 million Cincinnati Masters Series.

``I was lucky to beat him today,'' Moya said. ``But with me, anything is possible. And if I'm lucky, I can play well and I can win any tournament.''

Moya, the French Open champion in 1998, was ranked No. 1 in the world briefly in 1999, then injured his back.

``This is the most important thing for me, to be healthy and fit,'' Moya said. ``I'm healthy already. I'm fit. I know when this happens I can be a dangerous player.''

Since his injury, Moya's battle has been tedious. He was No. 41 in the 2000 rankings, and No. 19 last year. Going into this week, he was No. 13 in ATP points for 2002, but jumped to No. 5 by beating Hewitt.

``What I learned this year is that you just have to enjoy on court, and when you have the bad moments, you have to think that the good ones are going to come soon,'' Moya said.

``Being in the top 10 is something I've been waiting for since I was injured,'' he said. ``It took a while to recover, but it looks like now I am playing pretty well.''

Although he won titles at Acapulco, Bastad and Umag this year, his best previous finish in a major tournament was runner-up to Juan Carlos Ferrero at Monte Carlo in April.

Moya, who won $392,000, did not lose a set in six matches this week, and beat Hewitt in the final with powerful forehand strokes that even the indefatigable Australian could not reach.

``I tried to get into as many rallies as possible and give myself a chance to take the initiative before he started making me run and moving the ball well,'' Hewitt said.

``As soon as he gets around and whacks that forehand and he's on the offense, he's an extremely tough player to put back on the defensive from that position.''

A weather interruption gave Moya a chance to change his strategy.

The sky had darkened and the lights came on early in the match. After one break apiece and the first set tied 4-4, play was suspended for 2 hours, 18 minutes because of rain.

Moya watched videotape of the match.

``I realized I wasn't hitting the ball very hard,'' Moya said. ``I thought that if I'm in a final, it's because I've been taking a lot of risk. I had been hitting the ball hard, and that's what I had to do.

``I came after the rain knowing that I was going to have to hit the ball hard, and it worked out pretty well.''

When play resumed, Moya held serve twice, then broke Hewitt in the 12th game to take the set.

Hewitt had Moya down 5-2 in the second set, but could not put him away. Hewitt failed to hold serve twice, sending the set to a tiebreaker.

But at 5-5 in the tiebreaker, Hewitt double-faulted then hit Moya's serve beyond the baseline on match point.

``I didn't make too many first serves, but I didn't hit the ball all that bad,'' Hewitt said.

Moya was simply too strong, too consistent and too crafty, he said.

``He's been there before and he knows how to play the big points well,'' Hewitt said. ``He's a former No. 1 -- that's not a bad loss.''

Hewitt may take home only half of the $206,000 runner-up's share. The ATP levied a fine Monday of $20,000 or half of Hewitt's winnings -- whichever is greater -- for failing to take part in a mandatory tour promotion, a pre-tournament interview with ESPN.

Hewitt plans to appeal the fine.

Hewitt, preparing for his U.S. Open title defense, has won four titles this year, including Wimbledon and the Masters Series event in Indian Wells, Calif.

He lost in the first round a week ago in Toronto but was pleased with his progress this week. He is the No. 1 seed in the RCA Championships this week in Indianapolis.

``Sure, I'm disappointed. I would have liked to win another tournament,'' Hewitt said. ``But with the U.S. Open coming up in two weeks, it's going in the right direction at the moment.''

James Blake and Todd Martin won the doubles title, worth $135,150 for the team, by beating third-seeded Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi 7-5, 6-3.

The tournament was sponsored by the Western & Southern Financial Group.

Hewitt loses final

From correspondents in Cincinnati, Ohio

12aug02

AP

CARLOS MOYA, showing the form that once had him ranked No.1 in the world, has upset Lleyton Hewitt, the current No.1, 7-5 7-6 (7-5) in the final of the $US2.95 million ($A5.53 million) ATP Masters Series here.

"I knew my hardcourt game was not bad, but I didn't expect to win this tournament," Moya said. He called it "a dream come true."

Moya, who won $US392,000 ($A734,770), did not lose a set in six matches this week, and beat Hewitt in the final with powerful forehand strokes that even the indefatigable Australian could not reach.

Hewitt may take home only half of the $US206,000 ($A386,129) runner-up's share. The ATP levied a fine today of $US20,000 ($A37,488) or half of Hewitt's winnings - whichever is greater - for failing to take part in a mandatory tour promotion, a pre-tournament interview with ESPN.

Hewitt plans to appeal the fine.

The sky darkened and the lights came on early in the match. After one break apiece and the first set tied 4-4, play was suspended for 2 hours, 18 minutes because of rain.

When they resumed, Moya held serve twice, then broke Hewitt in the 12th game to take the set.

Hewitt had Moya down 5-2 in the second set, but could not put him away. Hewitt failed to hold serve twice, sending the set to a tiebreaker.

But at 5-5 in the tiebreaker, Hewitt double-faulted, then hit Moya's serve beyond the baseline on match point.

Moya, the French Open champion in 1998, was ranked No.1 in the world briefly in 1999, then injured his back.

Although he won titles at Acapulco, Bastad and Umag this year, his best previous finish in a Masters tournament was as the runner-up to Juan Carlos Ferrero at Monte Carlo in April.

Hewitt, preparing for his US Open title defence, has won four titles this year, including Wimbledon and the Masters Series event in Indian Wells, California.

By Richard Evans - Tennis Radio Network
Carlos Moya has beaten Lleyton Hewitt on a sufficient number of significant occasions to make Sunday's final of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters a mouth-watering prospect.

Both of Hewitt's wins in their five meetings have come on hard courts, but the tall Spaniard defeated the young man from Adelaide in five sets at the 2001 Australian Open, then ruined Hewitt's clay court season in Europe this year by beating him in straight sets in the first round in Monte Carlo and again in straight sets two weeks later in the second round in Rome.

If Moya's forehand works as well as it did during his surprisingly easy victory over compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero in the semifinal, Hewitt may find himself in an even bigger battle than he encountered against the startlingly powerful 22-year-old Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, who took the first set off the World No 1 on a tie-break, and pushed him all the way through the second.

In the end, Gonzalez ran out of steam and lacked the know how to prevent Hewitt turning the tide. Now that he is fully fit again, Moya, a former World No. 1 himself, will not suffer from those handicaps and will go into the match feeling that he has a good chance of adding to the lone Tennis Masters Series title he won in Monte Carlo in 1998.

The man from Mallorca knows he can play on something other than clay because he has reached the final of the Australian Open as well as the Tennis Masters Series event at Indian Wells and will be thirsting for greater success. But Hewitt wears the mantle of Wimbledon champion proudly and will run and run until victory is his.

Moya stuns Hewitt in rain-marred final

Spain's Carlos Moya had defeated Australian world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the rain interrupted final of the ATP Masters Cup in Cincinnati.

Moya claimed only the second hard court title of his career in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).

The 25-year-old Spaniard has now won four titles this year, and 11 in his career, including the 1998 French Open and Masters Series Monte Carlo in 1998.

Moya also becomes the first Spaniard ever to win in Cincinnati and did so without dropping a set.

Hewitt made the early running in the first set, moving to a 3-1 lead over the top seed before being broken back for 3-3 under rapidly darkening skies.

The heavens opened at 4-4 after just 34 minutes of play and when it resumed two and a quarter hours later, Hewitt's serve faltered again at 5-6 under the weight of Moya's destructive forehand.

World number one Hewitt took firm control of the second set, racing to a 5-2 lead only for Moya to claw his way back with the aid of some indifferent serving from the Australian and some sustained aggression of his own.

It was that aggression which helped him save set points at 3-5 down.

In an edgy tie-breaker, the pair exchanged mini breaks three times before a Hewitt double fault gave Moya a match point, which he took with a booming serve.

Moya, seeded 16th in Cincinnati, has been on a hot streak since the start of the season and has now won 20 of his last 22 matches.

Cincinnati marks his biggest pay day of the year so far though, earning him $US 392,000 in prize money.

"I'd like to congratulate Carlos," Hewitt said.

"He played some great tennis, not just this week but for the last five or six weeks.

"He was too good for me today."

There was more bad news for Hewitt.

His performance this week has earned him $US 206,000 but after a fracas with the ATP earlier in the week over his refusal to do a TV interview on Monday, Hewitt could be fined as much as half of prize money, so his week's work could cost him $US 103,000.

Moya's win was also the first final Hewitt has lost since Masters Series Stuttgart in November 2000, when he was runner-up to Wayne Ferreira.

Since losing to the South African, Hewitt had won 10 consecutive finals until he ran into Moya.

Moya was world number one for two weeks in 1999 after he reached his only previous Masters Series hard court final in Indian Wells.

Since then he has had to overcome long term back and shoulder problem.

The Cincinnati title is his most prestigious win since battling back from injury.

Carlos Moya raised his game to beat world number one Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets and take the Cincinnati Masters title.

In a rain-delayed match, Moya overpowered his younger opponent by scores of 7-5 7-6.

The victory was only the second hard court title for 25-year-old Moya, and his first on the surface in a Masters Series event.

It was the first final Hewitt has lost since the Masters Series in Stuttgart in November 2000, when he was runner-up to Wayne Ferreira.

For Spaniard Moya, this was his fourth title this year, making it eleven in his career, although few can have been as satisfying as this one.

Like all the men who had fallen before Moya during the tournament, Hewitt failed to take a set off the new champion, although he had his chances during the match.

The Australian took an early 3-1 lead before being broken himself.

Rain stopped play with the match poised at 4-4 in the opening set.

Over two hours elapsed before the players returned and it was Hewitt who buckled, his serve punished by the sheer power of Moya's forehand.

Hewitt seemed to determined to make amends for his capitulation in the first set and he raced into a 5-2 lead in the second.

But he suffered consecutive breaks on his own serve as Moya sprayed backhand and forehand winners around the court.

He also saved set points at 3-5 down.

In an edgy tiebreaker, the pair exchange mini breaks three times before a Hewitt double fault gave Moya a match point, which he took with a booming serve.

Moya, seeded 16th here, has been on a hot streak since the start of the season and has now won 20 of his last 22 matches.

Cincinnati marks his biggest pay day of the year so far though, earning him $392,000 in prize money.

Hewitt's $206,000 may be halved after a fracas with the ATP earlier in the week over his refusal to do a TV interview on Monday

The seeds dropped like flies early on. But as the tournament progressed, the surviving seeds tended to come through. Going into the third round, there were five seeds left. All five survived. In the quarterfinal, that had to change, because Lleyton Hewitt was facing Andre Agassi. But it was still a solid day for seeds: #16 Carlos Moya, after a slow start against Rainer Schuettler, just got better and better, winning the first set in a tiebreak and then steamrolling in the second, 7-6 6-1. #8 Juan Carlos Ferrero's match with Wayne Arthurs didn't look like such a blowout -- but there really wasn't much question about it. Ferrero did only intermittent damage against the big Arthurs serve, but Arthurs did no damage at all against Ferrero, and the Spaniard won 6-4 7-6.

The day's one upset came when Fernando Gonzalez (could they be calling him "Fernando Forehand" one of these days) took on Andy Roddick. It was power versus power, especially on the forehand sides -- but Gonzalez overall could do more damage off the ground. He won in two tiebreaks.

Then came the big match: Hewitt vs. Agassi. Certainly the two best returners in the game today, and possibly the two best hardcourt players to have played the sport to this time. Agassi hits just a hair harder, Hewitt is faster; it's close to a draw in ability off the ground. But Hewitt has improved his serve amazingly in recent years. After going down 3-0 in the first, he won 7-5 6-3.

Some people make a big deal about head-to-heads. But there is a problem: Most such statistics are taken out of context. Take Juan Carlos Ferrero's 5-1 head-to-head lead over Carlos Moya going into their semifinal. Moya's only win came years ago, when Ferrero was still just a kid. Most of Ferrero's wins came in 2000-2001, when Moya was not at his best. Nearly every result in the head-to-head needed a footnote. And we could add a footnote to the Cincinnati match, too: Moya has been hotter than a steel foundry, and Ferrero has not been doing very well lately.

And it showed in the semifinal. It was Moya who was attacking, who was standing closer to the baseline, who was putting on the serving clinic. Moya lost the Monte Carlo final to Ferrero -- but this time he made the final of Cincinnati with a 6-3 6-4 win.

Fernando Gonzalez seems to be the master of drama. Going against Hewitt, he was hitting as hard as even Agassi, and perhaps serving better. It was enough to get him the first set. But he hasn't had to deal with a Hewitt for three sets before. Hewitt, down a set, translated some luck into a break at the end of the second, and Gonzalez just couldn't keep it up in the third. Hewitt made the Cincinnati final with a 6-7 7-5 6-2 win.

But it seemed to cost him. That exquisite sense of the moment -- of knowing which points he had to win -- seemed to desert him in the final. Moya won his first hardcourt Masters Series 7-5 7-6.

American fans, who didn't have much to cheer about in the singles semifinals and final, did get a consolation prize in the doubles; James Blake won his first career title as he and Todd Martin beat Bhupathi and Mirnyi 7-5 6-3. A signal to Patrick McEnroe for Davis Cup, perhaps?

Hewitt scrapes through

From correspondents in Cincinnati, Ohio

11aug02

News Interactive

LLEYTON Hewitt fought back from the brink in the Cincinnati Masters today to stop the giant-killing run of Fernando Gonzalez and advance to the final against Spaniard Carlos Moya.

Hewitt had to dig deep to negate the power hitting of the Chilean but hung on for a 6-7 7-5 6-2 win in the semifinal of the $US2.95 million ($A5.53 million) tournament.

"Did it enter my mind that I might lose? No," Hewitt said.

"Did it enter my mind what the hell was he going to do next? Yes.

"I had no idea. He gives you absolutely no rhythm. I guess everyone knows I give 100 per cent until I have to go and shake hands at the end but it was tough," he added.

Gonzalez had already beaten fourth seed Tim Henman, Richard Krajicek and Andy Roddick en route to the semis and for most of the first two sets his potent mix of thunderous stroke play and exquisite touch looked to be too good even for Hewitt.

The Australian's accurate serving kept him in the first set until Gonzalez struck a rich seam of form in the tiebreaker, then the Australian had to save five break points in the fourth game of the second.

Having held firm, Hewitt then took only his second break-point of the match at 5-5 when a Gonzalez drop shot found the bottom of the net, and served out to level the match.

A break of serve in Gonzalez' opening service game of the decider saw the Chilean's challenge start to fade.

Hewitt broke again for 5-2 lead and his serve held firm once more to give him victory.

"He's a strange guy and I'm still trying to work out how he plays," smiled Hewitt afterwards.

"He makes me look bloody good one minute by hitting it three feet out and the next he'd whale it past me for a winner.

"When I was down a few break points I came up with pretty good serves every time.

"It comes with a little experience and being mentally tough out there."

The win might just prove costly for Hewitt though.

After flexing his back in the latter stages of the second set, the Australian received treatment from ATP Trainer Doug Spreen before the third set.

Spreen massaged his back and left side while Hewitt lay on the court.

"I've had a little bit of a stiff back since last week and I could feel it get a bit stiff out there," said Hewitt.

"It's been a little bit sore and there was a couple of times where I felt a pinch, I don't know if it's in a nerve or something."

Any injury only two weeks away from the defence of his US Open title will cause concern in the Hewitt camp but the Australian said he was confident it wouldn't affect his chances either in the final or at Flushing Meadows.

"I was a little bit concerned but I can't see it being a problem. It's nothing that's going to pull me out of anything," he said.

"I can play through it."

Moya marched into the final with a 6-3 6-4 semi-final win over fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Moya is the first Spanish man in the final of event since Manuel Orantes in 1973, although no Spaniard has ever won.

It will be Moya's first hard court Masters Series final since March 1999 when he was runner-up to Mark Philippoussis in Indian Wells, a performance which propelled him to No.1 in the world.

Moya has already won three titles this year have all been on clay but this week he has carried that form onto hard courts.

Lleyton Hewitt quashed the surreal Cincinnati run of unseeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez in Saturday night's featured semifinal, rebounding from a sluggish start to earn a 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-2 victory. Proving his World No. 1 standing is no fluke, the top seeded Australian resisted the power that Gonzalez has unfurled all week and set up a classy final against Spain's Carlos Moya.

It's easy to see why Gonzalez' game has won over Cincinnati's tennis afficionados. He learned to play tennis by swinging at the ball as hard as he could. His motto: Winners or bust. He tried this on Hewitt, and early on, it appeared the Wimbledon champ might too get outmuscled by the South American underdog. But what sets Hewitt apart from the pack of players with power, is that he's far superior when it comes to sealing the win.

"I don't think [losing] ever entered my mind," Hewitt said. "I'm one of those people, as everyone knows, who goes out there and gives 100 percent."

After dropping the first set in a tie-break, Hewitt remained in defense mode for much of the second set. At one point, the Australian literally fell to his knees trying to run down a homerun batted his way. But Hewitt managed to save five break points that set, and at 5 all, he got the instrumental break, which a game later, allowed him to even the match at a set apiece.

"When I was down a few break points, I came up with a big serve every time," Hewitt said. "I think it comes with a lot of practice and being very mentally tough out there when it comes to the big situations."

Gonzalez faltered on his serve to open the third set, and that set the tone for the remainder of the match. Hewitt quickly rolled out the victory, and now is a match away from claiming his second Tennis Masters Series shield. (Earlier this year, he captured the title in Indian Wells.)

"He shows why he's No. 1," Gonzalez said. "I mean, in the tough moments, he plays good... With Lleyton, I attack him and the ball is coming always, always, always."

On Sunday, Hewitt will play in his third TMS final, matching up with Spain's Moya, who hasn't lost a set this week. Moya holds a winning 3-2 record over the Australian. This year, they've met twice on clay in Monte Carlo and Rome, and the Spaniard won both matches in straight sets.

"He's a tough player to play," Hewitt said. "...He's got a big first serve for sort of a clay court specialist type of guy. He's very underrated."

        MASON — Lleyton Hewitt's serve typically is not his most dangerous weapon. But it sure helped him Saturday.

        The world's top-ranked player and the No.1 seed this week survived a grueling first two sets and defeated unseeded Fernando Gonzalez 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-2, with the help of 20 service aces.

        "I actually didn't feel like I served that great," Hewitt said. "He was guessing a lot of times (on the serves). He probably made it look a little better than it was."

        The only time Gonzalez broke Hewitt's serve was in the third game of the match.

        Hewitt faces 16th seed Carlos Moya in today's 4p.m. championship match of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. It is the first final here for both.

        Gonzalez often outslugged Hewitt in baseline rallies — as he did Friday night against Andy Roddick. But he also committed 50 unforced errors; Hewitt had 22.

        "He hits the ball as hard as he can every time," Hewitt said. "He gives you absolutely no rhythm. He's a strange guy to play. I'm still struggling to work out how he plays."

        Gonzalez, ranked 39th in the world, had perhaps the best week of his career, beating fourth-seeded Tim Henman, Richard Krajicek and 12th seed Roddick. The 22-year-old from Chile was ranked 135th at the end of 2001; he came into this tournament 26th in the year-long ATP Champions Race.

        The crowd seemed to support Gonzalez, and he left the court to a standing ovation.

        "Lleyton has a lot of experience," Gonzalez said. "He's a great fighter. He showed why he's No.1. All the big points he played good. I was trying to attack. Lleyton always gets to two or three more balls than other players do. It makes you tired sometimes."

        Hewitt may have saved the match in the fourth game of the second set.

        Gonzalez led 2-1 and had five break points. Hewitt finally held serve when Gonzalez hit a shot into the net.

        Both players held serve and it was 5-5 with Gonzalez serving. Hewitt survived a game point, got the advantage, then won when Gonzalez tried a backhand drop shot that went into the net. During the changeover, Hewitt showed as much emotion as he had all night. He would close out the set with a 94 mph second-serve ace.

        "At 5-all, I did a few mistakes, but that's normal for me because my style is try to hit winner," Gonzalez said. "Sometimes I hit everywhere."

        After the second set, ATP Tour trainer Doug Spreen, a Cincinnati native, came out to treat Hewitt's back. Hewitt said he has been experiencing stiffness the past week and a half and he felt a "twinge" Saturday night.

        But the 21-year Australian showed no signs of injury in the third set. He broke Gonzalez's serve in the first game, then got another break on a double fault in the seventh game. Leading 5-2, Hewitt served out the victory.

        "There was always a chance I could lose," Hewitt said. "But it never entered my mind."

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Hewitt's spirit wins the match

        MASON — The world's best men's tennis player is a little guy, about the size and shape of a garment bag. For about an hour Saturday night, that was fitting. It looked as if Lleyton Hewitt would be sent packing.

        Hewitt's game is patience and persistence. The 150-pound, two-hand backhander plays defense like the 1985 Chicago Bears. He's a boxer, not a puncher. When he takes too many 130 mile-an-hour serves to the head, he's in trouble.

        That's what was happening in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. Fernando Gonzalez is a 22-year-old from Santiago, Chile — 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, legs like Boris Becker. What he did for a set and change was bully Hewitt into the ropes and swing from his heels. Hewitt was missing his first serves and Gonzalez jumped on his limp second offerings as though they were hanging curveballs.

        Gonzalez finished off the first-set tiebreak with a 126 mph heater. It was like watching a bear wrestle a deer.

        It changed, eventually. Great players find ways to define and redefine themselves. Hewitt did it early in the second set. Gonzalez was coiled for the knockout, up a set and leading 2-1 in the second. He had a break point in the fourth game and another and. ...

        Five breaks into it, and Hewitt was still hanging on, teeth set firmly in the ankle of the bear.

        "It's about time," Hewitt said at one point, after Gonzalez finally missed a forehand return.

        If Gonzalez got that break, everyone would be learning to speak a little Spanish for today's final.

        Instead, Hewitt fought and fought again.

        "I give 100 percent until (I) shake hands," Hewitt said. Or, as Gonzalez put it: "(His) ball is coming, always, always, always."

        Hewitt held serve and won the set 7-5. The crowd sensed Gonzalez, ranked 39th in the world and unseeded here, had lost a golden chance, even as it prodded the underdog with shouts of "Viva, Santiago!"

        Perhaps Gonzalez understood, too. Or maybe he simply wore down and out, hitting every serve and return with maximum effort. "As hard as he can," Hewitt said, "every time." You could hear Fernando's grunts from here to Kings Island.

        Meanwhile, Hewitt just kept playing. He has that Jimmy Connors toughness about him. It's part pride and part me-against-the-world, a combination that served Connors well for more than a decade.

        As men's tennis searches for its new hero — Pete Sampras is watching his sunset, Andre Agassi is in Sampras' rearview mirror — you wonder how fans will take to Hewitt. He isn't especially appealing, preferring substance over style. Hewitt spent a good deal of time during Saturday's match fuming at himself while lobbing the occasional F-bomb.

        Sampras was as reliable as a Volvo in a crash test. Agassi reinvented himself a few times before settling into his current role as pleasant, philanthropic family guy.

        We're not yet sure what to make of Hewitt, a scowling, fist-pumping member of the Backward Ballcap-Wearing Nation. We got a glimpse, though.

        The little guy is molten on the court and unwilling to lose.

Hewitt shows grit to fell Finn

Richard Jago in Cincinnati
Friday August 9, 2002
The Guardian

Lleyton Hewitt does things differently. He claimed he would not play here in the Masters Series, but yesterday ground down one of the best up-and-comers to reach the last eight. He wants the ATP to consider an appeal against his fine, but then tells them they don't do things as well as the women. He knows Mark Miles can influence things in his favour but alleges the association's chief executive is gutless.

Yet it works for the Wimbledon champion even better than it did for the contrary Jimmy Connors. Although "his head was spinning", Hewitt set a record by reaching the third round without losing a game and followed it by beating the rising Finn Jarkko Niemenen, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Anyone in the top 50 is supposed to be able to beat anyone else on their day on the modern ATP Tour, but Hewitt, despite being made to fight out some gut-spilling rallies in the hot sun against an awkward left-hander, is an exception. If he wants to win, he can. Woe betide those within range of his anger right now.

The Australian may partially have his way with the ATP too. The full fine for his refusal to speak to ESPN on Sunday could amount to $200,000 (£130,000), but the whispers say the appeal may drag on until the end of the year and that Hewitt won't be stung for more than the $20,000 minimum. But his post-match interview was notably willing.

"I hadn't seen him play before," Hewitt said. "He mixes it up well. He rolled his serve in and then hit some at 121mph out wide. He wasn't easy."

One of Niemenen's consolations was that by staying out there for an hour and 53 minutes he extended Hewitt to a match more than twice as long as his previous two put together.

It brought the top man closer to a possible showdown with the game's most charismatic player. Andre Agassi was in intimidating form in reaching the last 16 late the night before, overawing Guillermo Coria and steamrollering the first eight games from the young Argentinian before overwhelming him 6-0, 6-2.

Thu Aug 8, 3:47 PM ET

By Eleanor Preston

CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) - World number one Lleyton Hewitt fought back from a set down before beating Finland's Jarrko Nieminen 2-6 6-2 6-3 to move into the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters Thursday.

Having cruised through the first two rounds without the loss of a game, the Australian soon found himself pinned back as entered unknown territory in his clash against Nieminen.

"I've never seen him play before," said the U.S. and Wimbledon champion.

"He was mixing it up well and I couldn't really work it out. It took me a while to get into the match.

"It's nice though, after having an easy time of it, to get a tough, competitive match."

Hewitt, who had spent just 59 minutes on court in his first two matches, looked out of sorts from the start against Nieminen.

Despite Hewitt's reputation for consistency, it was the Finn who looked more solid in the early stages and he made he most of the uncharacteristic errors from Hewitt.

The top seed knuckled down in the second set, breaking serve twice and holding his own with ease.

A break in the in his opening service game of the third set effectively ended any challenge from the Finn.

PUNISHMENT

The bad news for Hewitt is half of the $57,000 dollars he has earned at the event so far will go to the ATP in fines.

The governing body of men's tennis is punishing Hewitt for not completing his media commitments at the event and can dock him either $20,000 or half his total prize money for the week, whichever is greater.

If Hewitt wins the tournament he could be liable for $196,000 although he plans to appeal against his punishment.

Germany's Rainer Schuettler is also through to the last eight after he beat Wimbledon semi-finalist Xavier Malisse 6-4 6-3.

Schuettler will take on Carlos Moya in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard defeated Michael Chang 6-4 6-3.

Chang's run at the Cincinnati Masters was the first time in nearly a year that he had won back-to-back matches.

With the atmosphere of a blockbuster prize fight, the world’s toughest hard court combatants Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt will go head-to-head in the quarterfinals on Friday night. Both men did their part Thursday to set up the mammoth clash, with Hewitt shutting out Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 and Agassi defeating another former Cincinnati champion Thomas Enqvist 6-4, 7-5.

No one has played better tennis this year than these two giants, and on hard courts, the pair are equally feared. The last time they met, in the final at San Jose earlier this year, the Australian edged the American 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in one of the most memorable clashes of the year. During that bang-up battle, Hewitt save two match points.

"The guy's been playing the best tennis in the world for awhile," Agassi said of his next opponent. "The guy scrambles and plays defense and counterpunches. You really have to let if fly and hope you're having a good day.

"I'm really looking forward to it. I think it will be a high standard and good for all those that come here to watch it."

Hewitt is one of the few players with a winning career record over the American. They've met five previous times, and the 21-year-old has claimed three of those encounters. But Agassi has proven this year that he's well in contention to dethrone the young Australian of his World No. 1 standing. And before an American crowd, Agassi will have the stadium rocking in his favor.

Agassi has won four titles this year in Scottsdale, Miami, Rome and Los Angeles; Hewitt, meanwhile, remains this year's ATP Champions Race Leader, with victories at San Jose, Indian Wells, Queen's and finally, Wimbledon.

"I've played well in the past against Andre," Hewitt said. "It's always been great matches. Possibly the best match of the year so far was the San Jose final. If we play another match like that, then it should at least get the crowd into it."

On Thursday, Lleyton Hewitt actually dropped a game, even a set, in his third-round groundstroke affair against Nieminen. But after a mistake-ridden start, the Australian began his attack against the young Finn, and barreled through to victory.

Before meeting Nieminen, Hewitt had not lost a game and spent less than an hour on Cincinnati's court, overcoming Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-0 in the first round, then David Sanguinetti 5-0 in the next. (Sanguinetti retired with a foot injury.)

Most were expecting an equal demolition of the 21-year-old Finn, but Nieminen admirably held his own, even after Hewitt settled into his game. "I've never seen him play before and he was mixing it up well," Hewitt said. "He is only going to get better and better...His backhand is superb."

Agassi, a two-time winner in Cincinnati, remained in smashing form against Enqvist. The American never lost focus in the high-quality match, winning key breaks that finally wore down the Swede. "I hung in there and overall, I liked the way I played," Agassi said. "...I came up with some big serves at the right time."

Hewitt must change media attitude, says Arthurs
By Eleanor Preston

CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) - World number one Lleyton Hewitt must change his attitude to the media according to Davis Cup team mate Wayne Arthurs.


Arthurs made his comments the day after Hewitt was embroiled in a row with the ATP at the Cincinnati Masters tournament over how many media commitments he has to do.


"He has to do something about it," said Arthurs on Wednesday. "It's possibly something that he will have to deal with being number one in the world.


According to the ATP, Hewitt is liable for a fine after failing to give an interview with the tournament's host broadcaster ESPN, though the Australian has said he will appeal any fine imposed by the tour.


But Arthurs, who has stressed he and Hewitt are still on friendly terms, said that the Wimbledon champion must look at his responsibilities as the world number one.


"It is big status that you have to carry and he might have to look at that side of things a little harder than he has done in the past.


"I really have no problems with Lleyton back in the locker room when I play Davis Cup, he's a really nice guy. It's a little unfortunate that that he has had a few problems with the media."

No Sweat For Hewitt  Aug 7

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt so far has played 17 games at this year's Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. And not only has he won all of them, but he hasn't yet faced a break point. Early Wednesday, the fiery Australian only spent 18 minutes on court to advance to the Round of 16, as his opponent, Davide Sanguinetti, retired after dropping the first five games.


"I just basically had to walk on court today," said Hewitt, who fell in the first round last week in Toronto and is seeking his first Cincinnati title. "...Obviously, it would have been a lot nicer to have won properly. [With a] big tournament like this, obviously matches are only going to get tougher and tougher from now on."

Although Sanguinetti retired with a foot injury, Hewitt's sizzling form was evident from the start of the brief second-round match on Center Court. He was equally ruthless Tuesday, as he snuffed American Ginepri 6-0, 6-0 in 41 minutes, posting the fasting match on the ATP circuit this year. Amazingly, Hewitt has only spent 59 minutes to advance two rounds at this year's Tennis Masters Series event in Cincinnati.

"Hopefully, I'm going to get some pretty tough matches, as I'm sure I'm going to in the next few days," said Hewitt, who's playing doubles here with fellow Australian Andrew Florent. "I'm pretty happy that I'm still in the doubles to get some more hitting."

Hewitt now meets Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, who defeated Hyung-Taik Lee in the second round.

Also on Wednesday, Spain's Tommy Robredo fought past Greg Rusedski 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Robredo, who showed his game has adapted well to Cincinnati's hard courts when he defeated Todd Martin Monday night, now meets either Pete Sampras or Wayne Arthurs.

Ruthless Hewitt Crushes Ginepri; Roddick Through

Top seed Lleyton Hewitt ruthlessly dismissed rising American talent Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-0 to advance to the second round of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati Tuesday. Hewitt won in just 41 minutes - the fastest match time on the ATP circuit this year.


Hewitt, the youngest year-end world No.1 in ATP history, quickly erased memories of his shock first-round loss in Toronto last week with an emphatic victory. He won six of six break points against an overwhelmed Ginepri and did not face a break point on his own service despite putting just 35 per cent of first serves into play.

"He struggled a lot, but I just kept balls in play," the top seed said of his 19-year-old American opponent. "I've practiced with him before and he hit the ball well. Then today, he just went out on the court and looked very nervous right from the start."

Hewitt, who reached the semifinals here last year shortly before winning the US Open, next plays Italian Davide Sanguinetti, who beat Jonas Bjorkman in three sets.

Andy Roddick also advanced to the second round Tuesday with a regulation 6-3, 6-3 win over Swiss Michel Kratochvil. Roddick moved to 12th place in the ATP Champions Race - and into contention for one of the eight spots at the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup - by reaching the final in Toronto last week.

Roddick, who now meets German Nicolas Kiefer, has yet to win his first Tennis Masters Series title. But he said he's not discouraged by falling short of his first big win of his career.

"You kind of just have to let it happen," he said. "You can make stuff happen to a certain extent by working hard and by preparing yourself and making sure your body is ready, but in my case, if I try to force things too much, I get upset if they don't go my way. So I'm just going to bide my time."

Hewitt to appeal if ATP fines over Cincinnati interview

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - World number one Lleyton Hewitt has said he will appeal against any fine imposed by the ATP for his refusal to give a television interview at the Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday.


According to the ATP, Hewitt is liable for a fine after failing to give an interview with the tournament's host broadcaster ESPN.


"For sure," Hewitt said on Wednesday when asked if he would launch an appeal. "Yeah, and I plan to win it."


Hewitt claims he never agreed to the interview and had already completed his press commitments for the week.


The penalty could be as much as half his prize money for the week, which would total $196,000 should the Australian win the Masters Series tournament.


If Hewitt appeals the decision the matter will go before the ATP Stars Committee made up of ex-players.


John McEnroe, Guy Forget and Hewitt's Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald currently serve on the committee although a new line-up could be in place by the time any appeal is lodged.


Hewitt would probably have to wait until after the U.S. Open, which ends on September 9, before he knows if the committee has ruled in his favour.


In the meantime Hewitt says he is still unhappy about the situation and has tried to contact ATP chief executive Mark Miles to resolve the issue.


"Nothing has been resolved," added the reigning Wimbledon champion.


"I tried to contact Mark Miles a lot of times yesterday, and he is in Cincinnati, but for some reason he doesn't answer his phone."

Hewitt goals go beyond Cincinnati

Lleyton Hewitt has plenty of qualities. Excessive modesty isn't one of them.

On paper, the 21-year-old Australian is the best tennis player in the world. But you don't have to rely on computers to back up that assertion. Just ask him.

"At the moment, it's hard to argue,'' Hewitt said last week. "I've come out and had an incredible run basically since the U.S. Open last year.''

That sort of unblinking honesty has made Hewitt the most polarizing player in the game. Either you love his vocal, never-say-die enthusiasm or you think he's a disrespectful show-off who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

Whatever your opinion on his personality, it's hard to argue with his results in the past year.

Entering the Western & Southern Masters, which begins Monday at the ATP Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, Hewitt has won two of the last four Grand Slams. In between titles at last year's U.S. Open and last month's Wimbledon, Hewitt also solidified his No. 1 ranking by winning the year-end Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney and took the title at the Indian Wells Masters Series event.

Hewitt's hold on the top has been enhanced by the fact that the year's other two Grand Slam champions, Thomas Johansson in Australia and Albert Costa at the French Open, were seen almost as fluke winners in what has become a wide-open sport.

Considering the balanced state of men's tennis right now, it's hard to imagine a player finishing the year at No. 1 in the world six consecutive times, as Pete Sampras did in 1993-98. With plenty of talent but no dominant force, the sport has become a free-for-all - the perfect place for a scrapper like Hewitt to shine.

Hewitt reached the semifinals in Cincinnati last year, falling to compatriot Patrick Rafter. But he wants to make clear that winning titles in Cincinnati and the following week in Indianapolis are not necessarily his main goals this month. Hewitt has already adopted a Tiger Woods-style approach and started crafting his schedule to properly build up to the key events each year.

"You know, when you win a Grand Slam, your priorities change,'' he said. "The thing that drives you more and more is more Grand Slams. So when I set my schedule at the start of the year, I write in there with black pen the Davis Cup ties and the four Grand Slams, and I work backwards from all the Slams to what the best preparation is going to be for me.

"I go out there every time I step on the court and give everything I've got. But at the end of the day, I'm not going to get discouraged if I do have an early loss in one or a couple of these next tournaments, as long as I'm peaking (for the U.S. Open).''

Hewitt took one of those early losses this week at the Tennis Masters Toronto, falling in the first round to clay-court specialist Felix Mantilla. It was his first match since capturing the Wimbledon title on July 7.

That means the pressure is on Hewitt a bit as he enters Cincinnati. He's now in a situation where he simply needs to get some hardcourt matches under his belt in the weeks leading up to his first Grand Slam title defense.

For some players, you'd start to worry about focus or motivation at some point. Hewitt insists he's not one of those players.

"Oh, I don't think so,'' he said. "I'm a very driven person. I'm very competitive. I don't enjoy losing. So I'm going to go out there and still be as hungry as ever when I get out on the court. I'm still going to take that same motivation into every match.''

Publication date: 08-02-02