MELBOURNE, Australia, 29 January 2005 — Lleyton Hewitt took a huge step toward becoming the first homegrown Australian Open champion for 29 years yesterday after beating American Andy Roddick to reach the final for the first time.
Australian third seed Hewitt, who is aiming to emulate compatriot Mark Edmondson’s title triumph in 1976, came from behind to wear down big-serving second seed Roddick, triumphing 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 in 2hr 54min.
Hewitt now plays Russian fourth seed Marat Safin for the title tomorrow, the first time an Australian has reached the final since Pat Cash in 1988.
Roddick’s game fell away in a welter of unforced errors in a lopsided fourth set as Hewitt surged into the final.
Roddick served 31 aces, hit 66 winners but made double the unforced errors than Hewitt (50-21), yet he could not overcome the tigerish Hewitt, who got to the semi-final on the back of fighting five-set victories over Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian.
It was the second time Roddick had lost in an Australian Open semifinal having been defeated by German Rainer Schuettler in 2003.
Roddick started strongly, breaking Hewitt in the second game and with his serve on song he confidently fended off the Australian’s attempts to break back in the ninth with six aces to take the opening set.
Roddick’s hot streak continued with four consecutive aces on his first service game of the second set, making a run of seven, one of them hurtling down at 231 kmh (144mph).
Hewitt had break point opportunities but the American’s booming serves were keeping him at bay. But Roddick played a poor second set tie-break and fell behind three set points only to crash an easy backhand into the net to level the match. Roddick cashed in when Hewitt coughed up three double-faults to drop serve in the second game, but the Australian kept at Roddick and broke back when the second seed served back-to-back double-faults.
Revenge for Doubles Champion Molik
Australian Alicia Molik wreaked revenge over Lindsay Davenport for her defeat in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open as she teamed with Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the women’s doubles yesterday for her first grand slam crown. Sixth seeds Molik and Kuznetsova beat Davenport and fellow American Corina Morariu 6-3, 6-4 to win the title in 56 minutes, clinching victory in their first tournament together.
“What a way to start,” Molik beamed. “It’s pretty amazing, the first time we team up we win a grand slam. We played really great all week and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the year.” Davenport, who will meet Serena Williams in the singles final on Saturday, and Morariu broke for a 2-1 lead in the first set before US Open champion Kuznetsova and Molik won five of the next six games.
Morariu, who was diagnosed with promyelocytic leukemia in May 2001, had her serve broken twice in the opening set and once in the second and Molik held her nerve, saving two break points to serve out for victory.
The 24-year-old Molik, who went down 9-7 in the final set of a nail-biting quarterfinal with Davenport on Tuesday, was delighted to have won her first grand slam title.
Sharapova Donates Porsche Proceeds to Beslan Victims
In London, Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova yesterday handed over more than $50,000 to victims of last year’s school siege in Beslan, Russia. The 17-year-old Siberian signed over the proceeds of an auction she held for the Porsche car she won at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships.
Sharapova’s auction raised $56,300.
“Making this donation was the least that I could do to help the innocent victims in my country who were tragically affected by this senseless act,” Sharapova said.
