HOUSTON, 22 November 2004 — World No. 1 and defending champion Roger Federer won an epic 20-18 tie-break to seal a 6-3, 7-6 win over Marat Safin on Saturday and place in the Masters Cup final.
Federer will now meet two-time Masters winner Lleyton Hewitt in the finale to the 2004 season after the Australian defused the hard-hitting American Andy Roddick 6-3, 6-2.
The final will give the fired up Hewitt one last chance at revenge over his Swiss rival, who has claimed victories in all five of their meetings this season, including a straight sets demolition in the final of the US Open.
The form player coming into the $4.45 million season ending tournament with back-to-back Masters wins in Paris and Madrid, Safin might have hoped to have the edge on Federer who is playing his first event in almost month after straining his left thigh muscle.
Coached by Federer’s former mentor Peter Lundgren, Safin might have also hoped for some valuable inside information.
But if Safin did have any tips they did not work against the 23-year-old Swiss, who has quickly returned to the sublime form that carried him to three Grand Slam titles this season and 10 tournament wins.
Certainly the time off did not dull any of Federer’s competitive edge which shone through in a gripping tie-break, the Swiss finally securing a victory on his eighth match point when Safin sent his return long.
US Siblings Defend Masters Cup Doubles Crown
American brothers Mike and Bob Bryan defended their ATP Masters Cup doubles crown on Saturday, defeating Zimbabwe’s Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 in the tournament final.
Black and Ullyett won five of seven prior matches against the United States twins, who snapped a five-match losing streak against the African duo in their most recent prior meeting this year at the French Open.
The victory, which came after three hours and 10 minutes, made the US duo the first doubles team since Stefan Edberg and Anders Jarryd in 1986 to defend their Masters Cup title.
The Bryans won their seventh title of the year, their best-ever total, and captured their 21st title together.
Strasbourg to Host France-Sweden Davis Cup Tie
In Paris, Strasbourg has been selected as the venue for France’s Davis Cup tie against Sweden next year, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) announced yesterday.
The FFT said the first-round world-group tie, scheduled for March 4-6, would be played in a 6,000-capacity hall usually used by the local basketball team. The surface had yet to be decided.
