Skip to main content

Hewitt profits from Federer errors in Brisbane

Lleyton Hewitt celebrates after beating Roger
Federer in the Brisbane International final. 
Lleyton Hewitt pulled off an upset 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Roger Federer to win the Brisbane International yesterday.

 The Australian made Federer pay for what was an unusually sloppy performance, with the Swiss committing 22 unforced errors in the first set alone, as he won the 29th ATP title of his career.

 Hewitt took the first set in just 27 minutes thanks largely to Federer’s consistent errors, before the 17-time grand slam champion showed his class in the second.

 Despite missing the chance to go up a break midway through the set, Federer did not let Hewitt off the hook when a second opportunity presented itself after the home favourite missed an easy forehand winner in the ninth game.

 Had Hewitt made the shot, he would have gone up 5-4 in the set, but instead Federer broke the Australian and then served out to love, levelling the match at one set apiece and setting up a grandstand finish.

 Hewitt produced a typically committed performance in the deciding set, saving four break points to hold his serve before breaking Federer to go up 3-1.

 The 32-year-old then kept his composure for the rest of the set to serve it out and ensure he lifted his seventh title on Australian soil.

 In India, Stanislas Wawrinka warmed up for the Australian Open by lifting the Aircel Chennai Open with a comfortable win over Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the final.

 Wawrinka, who will be one of the favourites to upset the established order when the first major of the year gets under way a week today in Melbourne, came through 7-5, 6-2 yesterday.The two could not be separated in the early stages although top seed Wawrinka made the all-important break in the 11th game of the first set.

 That was the start of a five-game winning run for the Swiss, who went on to seal victory over the Frenchman after 95 minutes for his fifth career title – and his second at this venue.

 Wawrinka, who also won this competition in 2011, said afterwards: “I need to keep practising and keep going for the rest of the year because it’s only one week. I need to keep pushing myself to try to improve.”

 Seventh seed Simona Halep crashed out in the first round of the Apia International in Sydney, the Romanian going down 6-1, 6-4 to American Madison Keys.

 Sara Errani, the Italian third seed, had no such problems as she swept aside her compatriot Roberto Vinci 6-4, 6-2.
Labels:
Location: United States

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mario Balotelli: AC Milan reject claims the striker is about to leave

AC Milan have released a statement to deny speculation that Italy striker Mario Balotelli could leave in January. They were responding to reports in Italy that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi had decided to sell him. "AC Milan firmly and absolutely deny statements that have been attributed to the chairman about Mario Balotelli being put on the transfer list," the Serie A club's statement  said . The ex-Man City striker has scored six goals in 12 league games this season. He moved to the San Siro in January for an initial fee of 22m euros (£19m). Last season he racked up 12 goals for the seven-time European champions in only 13 Serie A appearances.
Post a Comment
Read more

Al-Jazeera demands Egypt release four journalists

  Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera has demanded the release of four of its journalists seized by Egyptian police in Cairo at the weekend. They include its Cairo bureau chief Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and former BBC correspondent Peter Greste. The journalists had held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood, the interior ministry said. Al-Jazeera said it had been "subject to harassment" although not officially banned from working in Egypt. There has been a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood since the army ousted President Mohammed Morsi in July. Last week it was declared a terrorist group. In the past six months, more than 1,000 pro-Morsi protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces, and thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been arrested, including the majority of its leadership. A court will hear a case to disband the Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), on 15 February. 'Arbitrary' The four journ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Justin Bieber all over Selena Gomez at party

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were all over each other at a friend's birthday party. The 'Baby' hitmaker rented out the Lucky Strike bowling alley in Los Angeles on Sunday night for their pal Ryan Butler's intimate celebration, and couldn't keep his hands off the 'Come & Get It' singer at the party. A source told E! News: ''Justin rented out Lucky Strike's Luxe room for the celebration. Additionally, he was seen kissing and flirting with his on-and-off again girlfriend, Selena Gomez.'' The insider added: ''The group, of about 12 people in all, enjoyed some of Lucky Strike's Esteban's Nacho's Grande, Cheeseburgers and wings. Specifically, Justin was seen eating the Mac & Cheese bites.'' Ryan's girlfriend posted a photograph of Selena, 22, gazing at Justin, 20, on Instagram from the party. The Canadian star confirmed during a deposition last week that he has reunited with his on-again, off...
Post a Comment
Read more