Tennis Channel Open

Las Vegas Feb 26 - March 4 2007

Final defeated Jurgen Melzer 6-4 7-6(10)

Lleyton Hewitt won the Tennis Channel Open for the third time, outlasting fourth-seeded Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 7-6 in the final Sunday.

The second-seeded Hewitt dropped the first three games of the second set and later fought off four set points before winning the thrilling tiebreaker. A Melzer double-fault put Hewitt in command, giving him an 11-10 lead.

Hewitt capitalized on the next point, getting Melzer to hit it into the net. It was Hewitt's 26th career title, but only his third since January 2005.

"I felt like I was in every point with him and had a chance to win on his service game," Hewitt said. "He played better when his back was against the wall. He opened his shoulders and returned very well."

Hewitt, the former world No. 1, committed 21 unforced errors and wasn't as dominant as his convincing victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals. He had 10 aces in a 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Feliciano Lopez and followed with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Marat Safin in the semifinals.

Melzer, ranked No. 31, had 10 aces and kept Hewitt chasing around the court for most of the match. He dropped to 0-5 lifetime against Hewitt.

"I had enough chances to get it to a third set. Some of them were just unlucky," Melzer said. "Being in the finals is nice, but you want to win it."

Hewitt improved to 26-3 in the event, also capturing titles in 2000 and 2003 when it was played in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Semi defeated  Marat Safin 7-5 6-1

Lleyton Hewitt is starting to become a regular in the Tennis Channel Open's championship match. The second-seeded Australian took advantage of 36 unforced errors by Russia's Marat Safin on Saturday night in a 7-5, 6-1 semifinal victory.

Hewitt weathered Safin's hard shots in the first set, then capitalized on the mistakes in winning the second set in 30 minutes. "Early on, he hit some unbelievable shots," Hewitt said. "To my credit, I hung in there and served better as the match went on. I didn't feel like I did much wrong."

Hewitt improved to 25-3 in the event and is looking for his third title. He won in 2000 and 2003 when it was played in Scottsdale, Ariz., and lost to James Blake in last year's final. The Australian also lost in the 1999 final. The world's former top-ranked player will face No. 4 Jurgen Melzer on Sunday, looking to win his third championship since January 2005. Hewitt is 25-14 in ATP Tour title matches.

"(Melzer) is a very underrated player," Hewitt said. "It doesn't surprise me that he got through that part of the draw. He played well against a lot of top ranked guys in the past."

Hewitt said he struggled in his first two matches of the event, worrying about a hamstring injury sustained two months ago in the Davis Cup. His confidence, however, has grown the past two nights. He had 10 aces Friday night in a convincing 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Feliciano Lopez and looked sharp in topping a quality opponent in Safin. Both Safin and Hewitt have won two career majors.

"I was more worried about my body and how it was going to react in the first two matches," Hewitt said. "I was focused more on my body than my game."

The night could have been different for Safin, the tournament's No. 3 seed. He led in the first set, but was broken four times and let the errors get the best of him. Hewitt only had nine winner, but Safin keep giving points away.
 

Quarterfinals defeated Feliciano Lopez W 6-3, 6-2

match 2  defeated Thomas Johansson W 4-6, 7-5, 6-2  

match 1 defeated  Vincent Spadea  6-3, 6-3   no photos