CARLSBAD, California, 5 August 2003 — Third seed Justine Henin-Hardenne won the battle of Belgium, beating fellow countrywoman Kim Clijsters 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a controversial final at the $1 million Acura Classic on Sunday.

“I’m so happy to win this title on a hard court,” Henin-Hardenne told reporters.

“It means a lot to me. I’m very proud of what I did. I played unbelievable and had to fight a lot.”

But after the match the two Belgian Fed Cup teammates became involved in a dispute about whether a medical timeout Henin-Hardenne took was legitimate.

The French Open champion took the timeout between the first and second sets to treat a blister on her right foot, and the minute she took to the court for the second set the tide turned. Clijsters was not pleased.

“I’m sort of getting used to it,” said second seed Clijsters. “She’s done it in every match I’ve played against her.

“It’s a matter of knowing if she’s doing it for an injury or another reason. It didn’t look like it was hurting because she was still running.

“Those are moments that she’s not feeling her best and she has to try to do different things. It’s to her credit that she can turn matches around like that.”

Ferreira Saves Three Match Points to Beat Hewitt

In Los Angeles, South African Wayne Ferreira saved three match points in the deciding set before beating top seed Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to win the $380,000 Mercedes-Benz Cup final on Sunday.

The former world number one from Australia was playing his first tournament since his shock opening-round exit at Wimbledon in June.

Seventh seed Ferreira, 31, a losing semifinalist in the Australian Open earlier this year, showed the form which helped him beat second seed Sebastien Grosjean and fifth seed Mark Philippoussis in earlier rounds. “I did everything well today, I moved well, I hit the ball well, did my forehand great and I was consistent too...and that (consistency) is key against him,” Ferreira told reporters.

Ferreira suffered a serious groin injury at the French Open earlier this year and was carried off on a stretcher shrieking with pain. He said he was still in pain because of the injury. “I’m over the moon. I shouldn’t have really been playing and you know winning the tournament, I don’t really have words to express how happy I am,” he said.