ROTTERDAM, 23 February 2004 — Lleyton Hewitt trampled on an exhausted Juan Carlos Ferrero to capture the World Indoor tournament with a 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, victory yesterday. The win earned the Australian sixth seed an early birthday present of 161,800 euros ($204,800), as he turns 23 on Tuesday, and a double celebration with his Belgian fiancee Kim Clijsters, who had triumphed at the Antwerp Diamond Games just 40 minutes earlier.

By lifting his 21st singles title, Hewitt also booked his passage back into the world’s top 10 when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday. “This is my first trip here and it’s an incredible feeling to win here on my first attempt,” the Adelaide baseliner told the crowd.

Ferrero had been on a quest to avenge his defeat by Hewitt in the Davis Cup final in November but from the outset he faced an uphill task. The Spaniard appeared to have little left in his reserves after playing 124 games — 43 more than Hewitt — to reach the final.

He had won his last three matches in third-set tiebreaks and the signs of exhaustion were clear from the start. The steely determination Ferrero had shown in his previous matches seemed to have evaporated into the gray clouds of the Dutch port city when he tamely surrendered his serve in the opening game of the contest.

Hewitt kept hunting for an opening to finish the contest in the third set and found it in the 10th game. Ferrero finally bowed out after two hours and 39 minutes, handing Hewitt the trophy with a backhand error.

Hewitt greeted the moment by falling flat on his back, satisfied with the thought that his name will join the impressive list of winners that adorns the hoardings at the Ahoy arena.

Big-Serving Johansson Reaches First ATP Final

In New York, emerging Swede Joachim Johansson enjoyed a landmark moment on Saturday as he upset second-seeded American Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-4 at the Kroger St. Jude tournament in Memphis to reach his first ATP Tour final.

The 21-year-old, who fired down 15 aces and made 70 percent of his first serves, brushed aside his American opponent in only 52 minutes. He was to meet Nicolas Kiefer in the final after the German overcame Swede Thomas Enqvist 6-3, 6-3 in Saturday’s other semifinal.

Top seed Vera Zvonareva battled back from the brink on Saturday to win the women’s title at the $880,000 hardcourt tennis tournament here, denying Lisa Raymond a third straight Memphis crown.

Russia’s Zvonareva saved three championship points, coming back from 5-2 down in the third set to beat the American second seed 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in two hours 22 minutes.

Clijsters Strolls to Antwerp Diamond Games Title

Belgium’s world No. 2 Kim Clijsters secured her first title on home soil by making short work of defeating Italy’s Silvia Farina Elia 6-3, 6-0 to win the Antwerp Diamond Games yesterday.

Clijsters followed up her success in last week’s Paris Open to claim her 21st WTA singles title. It was Clijsters’s sixth successive victory over the Italian. Clijsters broke Farina Elia’s second service game but her opponent broke back immediately and it wasn’t until the eighth game that the Belgian broke again to lead 5-3, from which she served out to take the set. Hitting heavy topspin and long ground strokes Clijsters then romped through the second set as Farina Elia’s resistance evaporated.

Ferrero, Safin Star in Federer’s Absence From Marseille

French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and Australian Open finalist Marat Safin will be the biggest attractions at the Marseille Open this week after the withdrawal of world No. 1 Roger Federer.

Federer, who holds the Wimbledon title and beat Safin to win the Australian Open last month, pulled out of the $600,000 event on Saturday, citing a foot injury and fatigue after losing to Briton Tim Henman in Rotterdam.

Two other former grand slam winners feature in the draw — Spain’s 2002 French Open winner Albert Costa and former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, who it seems is playing more for the fun of it than to claim back his former standing.

Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan, Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez and rising Spanish prospect Rafael Nadal are among the other leading players.