SYDNEY, 18 January 2004 — Lleyton Hewitt won the Sydney International final yesterday after Spain’s Carlos Moya was forced to retire with an ankle injury that may ruin his hopes of playing in next week’s Australian Open.

Moya’s retirement, trailing 4-3 in the first set, handed Hewitt the crown and his fellow Australian Todd Woodbridge landed a record 79th men’s doubles title. World No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne won the women’s event with a straight-sets victory over Amelie Mauresmo. Moya, the former world number one, collapsed in agony after rolling his right ankle as he chase down a ball.

He made a vain attempt to play on after receiving treatment but quit after just four more points.

“I wanted to try but I couldn’t even walk,” Moya said before being taken to hospital for X-rays. “I just hope it’s not going to be anything really bad.”

Hewitt, who won in Sydney in 2000 and 2001, said the final had the promise of being a great match until Moya’s injury.

“I felt like it was a very high standard match and it was disappointing for both players that it had to end that way,” Hewitt said.

Hewitt is undefeated in eight matches this year and said he had had an ideal preparation for the Australian Open.

“It could be perfect in one way that I’ve gone out there and I’ve had to prepare and warm up and do everything in match conditions but I haven’t actually had to use that full energy that you normally would,” he said.

“At the moment I’m executing as well as I could hope going into the first grand slam.”

Woodbridge teamed up with Swede Jonas Bjorkman to beat the American brothers Mike and Bob Bryan 7-6, 7-5 in the men’s doubles final.

The Australian had equaled Dutchman Tom Okker’s record of 78 titles when he and Bjorkman won last year’s Stockholm Open.

“To be able to say that I won more than anybody in the history of doubles tennis is something I never began in my career to go after but I got there and I’m pretty happy with that,” Woodbridge said.

Henin-Hardenne defeated 2000 Sydney champion Amelie Mauresmo 6-4, 6-4.

“Of course it was hard to spend so much time on the court but that’s the way it is, I didn’t feel like I was really tired,” said Mauresmo, who booked her place in the final by beating Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in a delayed semifinal earlier in the day.

“It was really just a point here and a point there. I had a few opportunities in the first set but I just didn’t take them.

“It’s always hard to come back when she breaks you and then serves so well.”

Belgian Henin-Hardenne broke Mauresmo’s service once in each set to win her 15th career title and justify her position as Australian Open favorite.

Suarez Wins Canberra Classic From Farina Elia

Argentina’s Paola Suarez saved five match points before recovering to beat Silvia Farina Elia of Italy 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 in the final of the Canberra Classic women’s tennis tournament yesterday.

Farina Elia thought she had won the title when Suarez failed to return one of her shots in the 12th game of the deciding third set but the Argentine insisted the ball had sailed over the baseline and the chair umpire agreed.

A furious Farina Elia told a news conference that she thought the umpire had made an error but said Suraez had deserved her win. “To overrule the match point, the ball must be very, very out but the call was very late,” the Italian said.

“But she played great on the match points, I never really had a chance to try something different.”