SYDNEY, 16 January 2005 — Lleyton Hewitt boosted his confidence ahead of next week’s Australian Open by brushing aside Czech qualifier Ivo Minar 7-5, 6-0 in the final of the Sydney International yesterday. The world No. 3 reeled off the first five games of the match and also the last eight to successfully defend his title.

Top seed Hewitt’s win helped provide Australia with a rare double as Alicia Molik captured the women’s trophy with a 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 victory over compatriot Samantha Stosur in a gripping final that lasted nearly two and a half hours. “It’s always nice winning tournaments but I think it’s even more special winning them in your own country,” Hewitt said.

Minar mounted a brief comeback when he won five games on the trot to level the opening set at 5-5 but Hewitt immediately raised his game. “It was a strange match, the momentum really changed. But once I got the first set under my belt...I was able to get a roll on,” Hewitt said.

The 23-year-old Australian’s triumph was his fourth in Sydney. The last man to win the event, formally known as the New South Wales Open, as many times was John Bromwich, who won seven between 1937 and 1949.

“It just keeps getting better and better every year,” Hewitt said. “I’ve only played this tournament four times and I’ve won it four times. “I feel pretty good at the moment. I got better and better as the week went on.

Hewitt went into the final as a short-priced favorite to clinch his 24th career title after dropping only one set all week while Minar, ranked 158th in the world, surprised everyone by reaching his first ATP final.

The 20-year-old Czech had come to Sydney hoping to get match practice before the qualifying draw for the Australian Open.

But his unexpected progress forced him to pull out of the qualifying draw for Melbourne and the chance to play in his first grand slam. He said his only option now was to fly to Germany and compete in a challenger event.

Chilean Gonzalez Seizes Auckland Trophy

In Wellington, fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez eased past Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Auckland Open yesterday.

The Chilean broke serve once in the opening set and twice in the second to clinch victory in 72 minutes and capture his first hard-court title after winning four other tournaments on clay.

Gonzalez is seeded 23rd for the Australian Open which starts tomorrow.

He said his victory had lifted his morale after an indifferent season last year when he won one singles title and a gold medal in the doubles at the Athens Olympics but was knocked out in the first round of three grand slams.

Qualifier Ivanovic Wins Canberra Classic

Serbian teenager Ana Ivanovic beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 7-5, 6-1 to win the Canberra Classic yesterday and capture her first WTA title. Czink served for the first set at 5-4 but Ivanovic broke back and won nine of the next 10 games to seal victory in 83 minutes.

Ivanovic, 17, was a junior finalist at Wimbledon last year and rose more than 600 places during the season to finish inside the top 100 rankings.

She beat Czink in qualifying in Canberra but the Hungarian won a “lucky loser” ballot when another player pulled out of the main drawer.