Hewitt beats Muller to win title in Washington 
 
 
August 22, 2004
 
AP - Aug 22, 2:46 pm EDT
 
WASHINGTON (AP)-- Lleyton Hewitt strong first serve and excellent court coverage ended the best week of Gilles Muller's career.
 
Hewitt beat the Luxembourg player 6-3, 6-4 Sunday in the final of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. The second-seeded Australian became the fifth player this year with at least three ATP Tour titles. His other victories came in Sydney and Rotterdam.
 
Muller eliminated top-seeded Andre Agassi on Saturday to reach his first final but struggled to handle the early pressure applied by Hewitt.
 
``I was maybe a little too tight today,'' said Muller, who entering the week had won just one ATP match. ``It was so difficult to play. It was like I was playing against the wall. He was running so fast, he was running everywhere. I kind of lost a lot of confidence.''
 
Added Hewitt: ``I'd love to be the wall -- the wall doesn't lose too much.''
 
Hewitt, who also reached the final in his previous tournament in Cincinnati, is tuning his game for the U.S. Open.
 
``I'm just trying to put as much pressure on him as possible, make him play that one extra shot,'' said Hewitt, who earned $69,200 for the victory. ``If he's good enough to hit the winner then so be it.''
 

Muller, aside from a backhand he whiffed in the third game of the match, withstood the pressure long enough to save the first five break points he faced. Hewitt finally solved Muller's serve to pull ahead 4-3 and broke again to close the first set.
 
Hewitt served for the match at 5-3, but for the second time in the set he double-faulted to end a game, allowing Muller to get back on serve.
 
``I just didn't get enough first serves in in those two games,'' Hewitt said. ``I served extremely well up to that point, maybe as well as I'd served all tournament. I sort of put myself under a little bit of pressure right from the start. But, then again, I returned well in the next game when I got the break.''
 
Muller failed to take advantage of either opportunity. His double-fault gave Hewitt two match points, and play ended when Muller's drop shot landed in the net.
 

Updated on Sunday, Aug
 

 

Posted on Sat, Aug. 21, 2004

Muller Upsets Agassi, Will Face Hewitt

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Andre Agassi no longer has to worry about a rematch with Lleyton Hewitt. The top-seeded Agassi was eliminated in straight sets in the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic on Saturday by unseeded Gilles Muller. The 21-year-old left-hander from Luxembourg ousted Agassi 6-4, 7-5 and advanced to play the No. 2-seeded Hewitt for the championship on Sunday. Hewitt advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Robby Ginepri, the fourth-seeded player.

It was Muller's first match against Agassi, who had won nine straight matches coming into the semifinal. That run included Agassi's 59th single title on Aug 8 - a three-set win over Hewitt in Cincinnati.

Muller's only career titles have come on the Challenger circuit. He won the last four games of the match to erase a 5-3 second-set deficit.

Muller secured his first break with Agassi serving for the second set, thrusting his arms up over his head in triumph after passing Agassi with a backhanded half-volley to get the set even at 5.

"I don't think I missed anything as much as he came up with some good shots," said Agassi, a five-time winner of the Legg Mason tournament. "I was down 6-5 and how many winners did he hit that game? I made one error and he hit three winners, that's too good."

The final winner was a looping forehand up the line that landed in the open court that surprised even Muller, who said he looked up to Agassi before starting a pro tennis career.

"He was my idol and today I'm beating him. It's just unbelievable," Muller said. "I'll never forget this moment."

Muller aced Agassi 11 times and won both breakpoint opportunities he had in each set.

"In a sense you have to stay solid to see how his game develops," Agassi said. "I can't lose my serve twice a set against a player that serves like him and expect to win the match."

The hardest part of Hewitt's day was having to wait out a four-hour rain delay before starting his match with Ginepri.

"It's been an awkward day for us, sitting around and getting ready probably three or four times," said Hewitt, who has won two titles this season. "You've got to be prepared for stuff like that and I felt like I handled that pretty well out there tonight."

The wait seemed to bother the fourth-seeded Ginepri more in the early going of his first tour semifinal this year. Hewitt jumped out to a 4-1 lead, only losing three points against serve in that stretch.

"Lleyton's one of the best players in the world and he's going to be ready for any situation," Ginepri said. "He got his mind right and I didn't in that first set."

The first set was stopped again for about 10 minutes with Hewitt leading 5-2 because of rain, but Hewitt was able to close out the first set and break Ginepri's serve again to take a 5-4 lead in the second.

Muller, Hewitt for final
From correspondents in Washington
Agence France-Presse
August 22, 2004

UNHERALDED Gilles Muller spoiled a star-studded finals scenario at the Washington Open today, muscling aside Andre Agassi 6-4, 7-5 to move into a match-up with Lleyton Hewitt.

The 21-year-old from Luxembourg played the match of his life as he put out the five-time Washington champion in one hour, 26 minutes.

Hewitt dodged the distraction of a late start and a brief rain interruption to post a 6-3, 6-4 win over fourth seed Robby Ginepri in 70 minutes.

Muller sat in disbelief after his unexpected effort against Agassi, which left him the task of taking on Australia's former world No. 1 Hewitt tomorrow for the title.

"I still don't know what to think about this," said the shocked winner, ranked a lowly 124th. He has eight wins and four defeats this season.

"Ten years ago I was watching him on television, now I've beaten him," he said of the 34-year-old legend.

"I was nervous at the start.

"But he's not a robot and he is going to mistakes. I was hoping he'd make them and he did. Against Hewitt, I hope I can play like I did today."

Agassi, holder of 59 titles including his last this month in Cincinnati over Hewitt, said the big-swinging lefty youngster deserved the victory.

"He played exceptionally well," said Agassi, who admitted he now had his doubts about playing as top seed next week at Long Island.

"It's tough when you've never played someone. Early on, I had some chances in rallies. You're not sure what he can do well or what he struggles with. You have to stay solid and see how his game develops.

"He took chances and came up with it. He earned the win in every department. I can't lose my serve twice in a set to someone who serves like him and expect to win the match."

Muller was only three years old when Agassi, eight times a Grand Slam champion and a larger-than-life icon, began his career.

Young legs and blind ambition made the difference today as Agassi's current winning run ended after nine straight victories.

Top seed Agassi, who has played in Washington without interruption since 1990 and lifted his last title five years ago, had five-double-faults, while Muller enjoyed 11 aces.

Earlier, Hewitt never faced a break point on his way to victory against Ginepri, ranked 54th.

"There were a few tight games on his serve, he didn't give very many cheap points," said Hewitt.

The Aussie imposed his game on Ginepri for the fourth time without a defeat, beating the American for the second time this season.

"I was just trying to focus," said the winner. "It was an awkward day for both of us. We got ready at least three or four times. we were minutes from going out when the rain returned.

"It was a frustrating day, but you have to ready to go when bell rings. I knew that there would be a rain delay or two. You have to be prepared and I think I handled it pretty well."

Agence France-Presse

 

Hewitt beats Saulnier to reach Legg Mason semis

August 20, 2004
 

WASHINGTON (AP)-- Lleyton Hewitt advanced to his sixth semifinal of the season with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) victory over seventh-seeded Cyril Saulnier on Friday at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Hewitt, who has already won titles this year in Sydney and Rotterdam, battled on-court temperatures of over 100 degrees.

The second-seeded Australian lost his serve for the first time in the eighth game of the second set and Saulnier took advantage of four break-point opportunities.

In the third set, Hewitt started slowly again and was forced to save three break points in the set's first game.

Saulnier, who hit 52 winners, later found himself behind 6-3 in the tiebreaker. The Frenchman was able to save two match points but hit his final shot wide.

Hewitt will face the winner of Friday's second quarterfinal match between and fourth-seeded Robby Ginepri in the semifinals on Saturday.

Top-seeded Andre Agassi played Paul-Henri Mathieu later Friday and Gilles Muller faced Michel Kratochvil in Friday night's final match.

 

Hewitt express starts to pick up speed

By Ken Wright
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
August 18, 2004

The L-Train is churning through the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at breakneck speed. Next stop: the quarterfinals.

The Lleyton Hewitt Express is stopping for no one in preparation for the U.S. Open in two weeks. Little-known Colombian Alejandro Falla just happened to be in Hewitt's way last night.

Displaying a wide variety of weapons, the second-seeded Hewitt rolled over Falla 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at William H.G. FitzGerald Center.

Apparently, Falla wanted to see Hewitt's complete repertoire after jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the first set. And that's what he got.

The Australian broke Falla's service twice after trailing and unveiled an unbelievable drop shot, a wicked two-hand backhand, and an overpowering forehand that pinned Falla on the baseline for the rest of the match. In Aussie lingo, no problem, mate.

"I feel like I'm hitting the ball well," Hewitt said. "Tonight was a little bit patchy here and there — there are things you can sharpen up — but then again this isn't a Grand Slam, either. You want to be hitting in real peak form in just under two weeks' time."

Hewitt, 23, who already has won two tournaments (Sydney and Rotterdam) and has a 46-13 record this year, is the world's No. 5 player. In the two matches he has played in this tournament, Hewitt has lost just eight games. He destroyed Danish veteran Kenneth Carlsen 6-1, 6-2 in Monday's first round and followed that impressive performance with last night's clinic.

This was the first time Hewitt had faced the 20-year-old Falla, which explains how the young South American broke his serve twice in the first set. Hewitt had little information about Falla, other than he has played just 11 matches on the ATP circuit in his career.

"Obviously, at the start he played his best tennis, I think and that's the mind frame he had to have with very little to lose out there, and he was really going for it and taking his opportunities," Hewitt said. "If he was able to keep that standard up that he played those first couple of games, when he broke me, through the whole match, then he would be a lot higher ranked [No. 120] than he is at the moment."

Hewitt next will play France's No. 7 seed, Cyril Saulnier, who has gone 10-3 in singles matches since Wimbledon.

"It's going to be a tough match, I'm happy to play against him," Saulnier said. "It's going to be a good test about my game — what I'm going to do this summer. I have to stay confident and keep doing everything the same way."

In other second-round matches, fourth-seeded Robby Ginepri picked himself up off center court after getting stunned in the first set by Israeli qualifier Harel Levy and rallied to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win. Saulnier defeated Belgium's Gilles Elseneer 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), and Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands upset No. 6 seed Alberto Martin 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 7-6 (7-2). Sluiter will face Ginepri in tomorrow's quarters.

 
Hewitt, Ginepri reach quarterfinals at Legg Mason tennis

August 18, 2004

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - Second seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia continues to dominate the competition at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Hewitt, who dropped three games in his first-round match, reached the quarterfinals of the $500,000 hardcourt event with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Columbian  Alejandro Falla on Wednesday night.

The 23-year-old Hewitt, who elected to skip the Olympics in order to prepare for the U.S. Open on American hardcourts, is in search of his third title of the year, already having won in Sydney and Rotterdam.

Each player struggled early, with four service breaks in the first six games. With the first set at 3-all, Hewitt ran off seven straight games to close out the opening set and take a 4-0 lead in the second.

``I knew it was going to take me a little bit more time just to realize how he plays,'' Hewitt said. ``I knew he was left-handed and that was about it.

``I felt like he played some of my service games better than his own.''

``I feel good at the moment,'' Hewitt said. ``Tonight was a little patchy here and there, but there's things you can sharpen up. Then again, this isn't a Grand Slam, either. You want to be hitting peek form in a just under two weeks time.''

In the round of eight, Hewitt will face No. 7 seed  Cyril Saulnier. The Frenchman, who celebrated his 29th birthday Monday with a victory over compatriot Antony Dupuis, defeated Belgian style Gilles Elseneer, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).