Top-ranked Roger Federer had every part of his game working Sunday,
beating No. 2 Lleyton Hewitt 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to successfully defend his
Pacific Life Open title.
Federer, on a roll that has carried him to 42 wins in his last 43
matches, displayed his usual dazzling array of shots.
Hitting powerful, accurate groundstrokes that kept his Australian
opponent scrambling back and forth at the baseline, Federer mixed in
winning volleys, winning drop shots and the occasional overhead that he
rarely failed to put away.
Federer extended his winning streak over Hewitt to seven in a row,
including last year's U.S. Open final.
Federer's skills were evident during an amazing 45-shot rally in the
second set - even though he lost the point.
Toward the end of that rally, the 23-year-old Swiss
star chased down a shot near the net, sprinted back and across the court
to return a lob, came up again
to hit another shot, then scurried
back once again to flick
the ball over his shoulder to return another lob.
Hewitt then hit a drop shot just over the net far to Federer's right.
It looked to be a winner, but Federer raced forward, stretched as far as
he could and hit the ball back. Hewitt went sprawling to his right and
volleyed for a winner - finally.
Both players were out of breath, but smiled broadly. The crowd roared
its approval, with the applause continuing for several minutes.
Federer ended the match with his 15th ace - to Hewitt's four - and
raised his arms high and beamed. He hit the ball into the cheering crowd,
with his usual one-handed backhand.
Federer's title was his fourth of the year and seventh in his last
eight tournaments.
His only defeat since he began last year's U.S. Open
last year was by Marat Safin in this year's Australian Open semifinals.
Safin then beat Hewitt in the final.
The 24-year-old Hewitt, who held the No. 1 ranking in 2002 and 2003,
lost for just the third time in 23 matches this year. He had a relatively
quick turnaround for the match, with his semifinal victory over No. 3 Andy
Roddick going three sets - and three tiebreakers - the previous night.
Federer had cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Guillermo Canas in their
afternoon semifinal.
The men's final was changed to a best-of-five sets format this year. A
year ago, the best-of-three final didn't last long - Federer beat Tim
Henman 6-3, 6-3.
Kim Clijsters had beaten Lindsay Davenport 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 for the
women's title at Indian Wells on Saturday. Clijsters, also the 2003
champion, missed most of last year after hurting her left wrist during the
tournament. She had two surgeries on the
wrist.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-21 09:45
