Hewitt gains final behind big serve
Saturday August 7, 2004
MASON, Ohio (AP) -- Australia's Lleyton Hewitt overpowered unseeded Tommy
Robredo of Spain with his serve Saturday, rolling to a 6-3, 6-2 victory in
the semifinals of the $2.5 million Cincinnati Masters.
Hewitt won 88 percent of his first-serve points during the 54-minute match
to reach his first Masters Series final this season. He has played in the
finals in Cincinnati twice in the last three years, losing to Carlos Moya
in 2002.
"I think I'm serving well," said Hewitt, seeded 10th. "Yesterday, I didn't
feel like I served great, but my second serve held up extremely well. Today,
I felt like my first serve came back together."
Hewitt hasn't lost a set during the weeklong tournament and has lost his
serve only once. Robredo never figured out how to handle the Aussie's serve.
"He was putting a lot of first serves in, and the second serve was so fast,"
the Spaniard said. "I had no chance to make rallies with his second serve.
It was a return winner or miss because he was really close to the lines and
changing the side every time _ forehand, backhand, volley. It was tough. I
expected maybe a few double-faults, but he didn't make one."
Neither player faced a break point until Robredo fell behind 15-40 in the
eighth game. He saved the first break point before hitting a forehand into
the net, an unforced error that gave Hewitt the advantage. Hewitt closed the
set by capping a long rally with a lob.
"I was just trying to clean up my service game and wait for my opportunities,"
Hewitt said.
The second set was 2-2 when Robredo again faced two break points. He saved
the first but lost the second on another unforced error, and Hewitt
capitalized by winning the next eight points and 12 of the final 13.
"I knew that, well, maybe I had a little bit of a chance if I closed my
eyes and I hit everything and the ball was going inside," Robredo said.
--
Big Serve?!
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 220.142.67.150