Moya Helps Spain Level Davis Cup Final at 1-1

Posted on November 29, 2003

Who knew Carlos Moya was a serve-and-volley specialist? Certainly not Carlos Moya. "Maybe I might start to like it now," said Moya about winning his first match played on a grasscourt in approximately 2-1/2 years.

Following a five-set win by Lleyton Hewitt to give Australia a 1-0 lead, Moya overwhelmed Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) with a yet-unseen Spanish exhibition of serving and volleying to level the tie at 1-1 going into the Saturday doubles.

Hewitt outlasted a feisty Juan Carlos Ferrero 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(0), 6-2, looking rusty in the beginning, but going up a break early in the fifth set and never looking back. Playing on a slow well-worn court that looked like week two at Wimbledon, the first match between the two former No. 1 players featured few volleys but a lively Aussie crowd at Rod Laver Arena.

"The ball was bouncing in a funny way. There were holes or uneven levels on the surface and it was rather dry," said Ferrero of the court which had been put down in pieces just a week before. "You can't come up with as many winners because on the hard ground the ball bounces faster and so on and it's a different game."

With girlfriend Kim Clijsters in the stands watching, Hewitt seemed slow and ill at ease to begin the match, with his forehand giving him trouble, but found the reserves with "C'mon!"s galore in the fifth set.

"All my thoughts were to try to get Australia off to a great start," Hewitt said. "I'm glad I did...I was going for it a lot today, probably more than I normally do. I might have had a lot more errors, but I had a lot more winners, too...I played an awesome (fourth set) tiebreak. When you go into a tiebreak down two sets to one, you want to get off to a good start. I just played faultless tennis and laid it all on the line."

Moya said he was motivated by an earlier prediction of an easy Philippoussis victory by one of the former Australian greats.

"It is interesting when you hear comments like that coming from someone like John Newcombe who has been a top player," Moya said. "Comments like that can be interpreted as put-downs, but hearing comments from people in the tennis world is motivating. But I have stayed focused. I knew that I was going to play well, win or lose, and I did play well."

Philippoussis complained that he had problems getting the engine going.

"I had a slow start," he said. "I was a long way away from my form at Wimbledon. At a tournament you work your way into the second week and every match gets a little better. I have no doubt that when it comes Sunday, I am going to be a different player out there. I have a match under my belt, obviously it's not the match I wanted but grass is one of those surfaces where you need to play some matches. I didn't play a good one today, but there is no doubt I'll be a different player on Sunday (against Ferrero)."

On Saturday, well-tested Aussies Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs will be the favorites against Feliciano Lopez and Alex Corretja.

DAVIS CUP ON THE TENNIS CHANNEL (EST in the U.S., all live)
Nov. 28 -- 10 p.m.-1 a.m.
Nov. 29 -- 7-10 p.m., 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

NOTES, QUOTES, AND BARBS
Before the opening of play yesterday at the Davis Cup final in Melbourne, Australia played the wrong Spanish anthem, infuriating Spanish fans in attendance: "It is unfortunate the outstanding opening ceremony was marred by this regrettable occurrence and, as a mark of respect, Tennis Australia will be playing the Spanish and Australian anthems before play tomorrow and again on Sunday," Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard said in the letter...U.S. fans lucky enough to have The Tennis Channel on their TV tube got a nice Thanksgiving treat with live Davis Cup coverage. Though they were not actually in Australia, Leif Shiras and Geoff Grant provided insightful commentary and the pictures were clear and the audio crisp. And kudos for never missing first ball upon a commercial break return. A few glitches aside, it was dazzling to watch a non-U.S. Davis Cup final on TV. Well done.