Friday, 30 November, 2001, 10:49 GMT
Hewitt rues missed chances
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/1684271.stm

France got off to a great start in the Davis Cup
final against Australia as Nicolas Escude beat world
number one Lleyton Hewitt in five sets in the opening
match.
But Pat Rafter then overcame a sore shoulder to beat
Sebastien Grosjean in straight sets to level the match
at 1-1.

A frustrated Hewitt, who also lost to Escude at
Wimbledon, blamed his defeat on his failure to take
the break points he created.

"The biggest key to winning the match would have been
to take my opportunities when they came.

"I had an awful lot, in just about very set, but I just
couldn't take them."

Prior to the match, Hewitt had won 16 of his 20 singles
matches in the competition, with three of those four
defeats coming in the last two finals.

"It's hard, it's always hard," said the 20-year-old
Australian. "I lost some of my matches in the last finals
and it doesn't get any easier."

Despite winning fewer points than Hewitt, Escude took his
perfect Davis Cup record to seven wins out of seven.

Afterwards he pinpointed the presence of French captain
Guy Forget as a reason for his success.

"It makes it easier for me and that's why I think I've
won all my matches."

"I used the same tactics today that I used at Wimbledon,
to come to the net at every opportunity and put pressure
on him."

"I was very nervous at the beginning and I couldn't find
my timing on serve, but it got better as the match went on
and that was the key."

Rafter was glad that his shoulder held up as he levelled
things with a comfortable victory over world number six
Grosjean.

"Right now the adrenaline is pumping and it's hot," said
the popular Australian about his injury.

"I've just iced it, so you don't know about these things
until the morning."