The early clues for Lleyton Hewitt's stunning 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 upset of Swiss great Roger Federer in the Brisbane International decider lay in the opening game on Pat Rafter Arena.
Federer lined up the most regulation of backhand slices, ripped downwards and came up with nothing but air. He studied his racquet for evidence of gaping holes but the answer evaded him, as did his form in a crucial lead-up to the Australian Open.
It took just 27 minutes for the Australian to win the opening set, dropping just one game and the jaws of almost everybody in the sellout crowd. This was a complete humbling nobody had predicted and Hewitt, a bulldog still, went on with the job.
Federer dug in his heels in the second set, wrestling with his own game as much as that of his opponent. But when he fired three aces, then struck a sublime, dipping forehand winner to close it out it seemed as if he had finally flicked the switch.
Hewitt doesn't make a habit of going away. Even though his best days lie in the past, the 32-year-old remains Australia's leading man. He could sniff ATP tour title number 29 and would not be denied in front of home crowd urging on his every move.
Hewitt secured the crucial break in the fifth game of the final set and, with the stifling humidity bearing down, must have felt the longer it went the better his chances of outlasting his old rival, who was coming off a six-week break leading into the tournament.
The telling moment arrived with Hewitt serving at 4-2. Federer had two chances to break back but Hewitt attacked on the serve, surviving a pair of break points before forcing a backhand error.
Federer made Hewitt serve it out and the South Australian obliged, completing a superb week in the Queensland capital and sending his world ranking rocketing from 60 to 43 ahead of the first grand slam of the season.
Federer might have known he was in for a long and strange afternoon when he managed to hit the on-court announcer in the head with a ball during the warm-ups and player introductions.
That was about as accurate as he got at the start of the match. So out of character was his play that pundits were frantically searching for evidence of a secret injury or ailment he may have carried into the contest.
Federer's first set must rank among the worst he has ever played since taking command of his sport. So wonky were his unwieldy groundstrokes there was thought he had concealed an injury or ailment heading into the match.
But focusing on the woes of Federer does a disservice to Hewitt, who many felt had overachieved simply by making the final.
He played aggressive, confident tennis and rattled Federer from the start.
It was 16 years ago that Hewitt tasted his first tournament victory, when he won his home-town event in Adelaide as a teenager. He took his career tally against Federer to nine wins and 18 losses.
Federer had looked assured and happy with his play before the final, not dropping a service game in the earlier rounds.
But defeat at the hands of the evergreen Hewitt must cast his Australian Open aspirations into serious doubt as the big guns start to arrive in Melbourne.
I didn't watch the match, but followed the live scores, it was such a topsy-turvy match my nerves wouldn't have handled it well at 3 am.
I guess there's one positive Roger can take away from the match, the new racket is working well for him in terms of hitting aces. Onward to the Aussie Open, one week to go!.
No comments:
Post a Comment