The Hindu : Federer snaps Hewitt's winning streak

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 31, 2002

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Sport - Tennis

Federer snaps Hewitt's winning streak

KEY BISCAYNE (Florida) MARCH 30. Switzerland's Roger Federer snapped the 15-match winning streak of the top seed, Lleyton Hewitt by humbling the Aussie 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open here on Friday. Federer will face Andre Agassi in the title-clash on Sunday.

Andre Agassi won one set on Friday, but that was enough to make him a finalist at Key Biscayne for the seventh time. The four-time champion advanced when Marcelo Rios retired because of recurrent knee tendinitis with their semifinal match tied after two sets.

Agassi lost the first set 6-7 (7-9) and won the second 6-4. During the ensuing changeover, Rios briefly consulted with trainer Doug Spreen, then retired and shook Agassi's hand.

"I was very surprised,'' Agassi said. "The last thing you're expecting is for the match to come to kind of an abrupt end.''

Rios said his inflamed right knee has bothered him for two months, and he was unsure whether he would even be able to take the court. The knee hurt when he pushed off to serve or run, he said, and the pain became too severe to play a deciding third set.

The 699th victory of Agassi's career was his first in three matches against Rios. "If I wasn't injured, there was no way he could beat me,'' the Chilean said. "I was playing much better than him. But that's the way it goes.''

On Sunday, Agassi has a chance to add to his tally of Key Biscayne titles that he won in 1990, 1995, 1996 and 2001. His opponent, Federer, who is competing the tennis Master Series final for the first time, has yet to lose his serve or a set in the tournament.

Federer, best known for ending Pete Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon winning streak last year, snapped Hewitt's 15-match winning streak with a dominating performance.

Federer, 20, comes to the net more than most players of his generation, and he mixed it up nicely against Hewitt. He hit 29 winners, knocked off 19 points at the net and lost only six points on his first serve, topping out at 127 mph.

"I've never beaten the No. 1 player before,'' Federer said. "It's quite a special moment for me, obviously.''

For nearly two hours against Agassi, Rios appeared intent on making the final for the first time since winning the 1998 title. The fluid, stylish little left-hander mixed angles, speeds and spins to keep Agassi off balance.

Rios took the court with a light wrap around his leg just below the knee, and then had Spreen apply heavier tape during the first set. But only occasionally did Rios' movement seem hampered.

Agassi missed plenty of chances to take the lead, converting just two of 17 break-point opportunities. On several of those points Rios came up with a clutch winner.

"It's very frustrating. I had a lot of opportunities. But I felt like if I just stayed with it, eventually I would be able to take that opportunity. It's hard to keep that perspective, but I was doing it,'' Agassi said.

The tie-breaker was another source of frustration for Agassi. His record in tie-breakers this year fell to 1-7, and every set he has lost in 2001 has gone to a tie-breaker. "Don't get me thinking about that,'' he said.

Agassi lost four of eight service points in the tie-breaker and was barely wide with a backhand when holding a set point at 6-5. Rios' sleigh-of-hand shotmaking was at its best during that stretch, and he closed out the set by slicing a drop volley so sharply that it bounced at a 90-degree angle toward the chair umpire, beyond Agassi's reach.

"He's a very talented player,'' Agassi said. "The big points he played incredibly well, and he kept himself in the lead until the very end.''

— AP

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