Federer, Hewitt to Face Off in Masters Cup Final
Posted on November 21, 2004World No. 1 Roger Federer will try and cap off a career year Sunday, adding a Masters Cup title to three slams when he faces Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the 2004 Masters Cup.
Federer defeated Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6, including a second-set tiebreak that went 20-18 and six set points before closing out the match. The win was the 22nd consecutive for Federer over Top 10 players.
"I'm happy to win that tiebreaker, it was very special," Federer said. "That was really fun. It was going back and forth and there were only big points. The level of play was very high. It's not like we were giving each other those points. The whole match was great."
Federer rallied from a 1-4 deficit in the second set, with the 38-point tiebreak tying the tour record. Safin had numerous opportunities before finally succumbing.
"I was probably going for too much because I knew I have Roger Federer on the other side, so I had to do something extra," said Safin, who double-faulted at 18-all in the tiebreak. "I didn't really make any huge mistakes in the tiebreak. I was unfortunately, a little bit nervous. I had to wait more for a good opportunity. Otherwise I don't regret anything from the tiebreak, even though I had six break points."
Hewitt, who led Andy Roddick 3-1 in their career encounters entering the semifinals, was at his tenacious shrieking best in defeating a flat A-Rod 6-3, 6-2. Seemingly deflated at the end of the match, Roddick dropped the last 20 points of the match. Roddick had been riding the wave of his recent volleying experiments, but against Hewitt watched passing shot after passing shot go by.
"I just stoned them," Roddick said of his volley efforts. "I've been hitting them great all week, you know, better than I have. And today, that's about as bad as I've volleyed. It was just bad. I have to be kind of proud a little bit that I committed to doing it this week...I can't explain it. I felt like I hit a forehand well and missed it by four feet. And I've been volleying really well all week and today I just stoned them. It was bad."
Hewitt, serving solidly all week in Houston, found himself dictating on serve and dominating Roddick's delivery.
"I think he just hadn't had that many opportunities on my service games," Hewitt said. "Even through the first set, it could have been 6-1. I felt I was right on my serve today. Every time we got into a baseline rally, I was dictating play."
Hewitt leads the career head-to-head 7-6, but Club Fed has won the last five meetings, including this week's Masters Cup round robin, and this year's US Open, Wimbledon, Masters Series-Hamburg, and Australian Open.
"It's not going to be easy, you know," Hewitt said. "Obviously, Roger is playing extremely well. You know, as I said after my loss against him the other night, I had a couple of chances out there. Wasn't quite able to take them. Against especially Roger the best players in the world, but especially Roger you have to be able to take him right at the moment. I wasn't able to do that. I haven't been able to do that all year."
In the Masters Cup Doubles final, the defending champion Bryan brothers defeated Zimbabwe's Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 for their tour-leading seventh title of the year, finishing the year No. 2 behind Mark Knowles-Daniel Nestor.
Federer defeated Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6, including a second-set tiebreak that went 20-18 and six set points before closing out the match. The win was the 22nd consecutive for Federer over Top 10 players.
"I'm happy to win that tiebreaker, it was very special," Federer said. "That was really fun. It was going back and forth and there were only big points. The level of play was very high. It's not like we were giving each other those points. The whole match was great."
Federer rallied from a 1-4 deficit in the second set, with the 38-point tiebreak tying the tour record. Safin had numerous opportunities before finally succumbing.
"I was probably going for too much because I knew I have Roger Federer on the other side, so I had to do something extra," said Safin, who double-faulted at 18-all in the tiebreak. "I didn't really make any huge mistakes in the tiebreak. I was unfortunately, a little bit nervous. I had to wait more for a good opportunity. Otherwise I don't regret anything from the tiebreak, even though I had six break points."
Hewitt, who led Andy Roddick 3-1 in their career encounters entering the semifinals, was at his tenacious shrieking best in defeating a flat A-Rod 6-3, 6-2. Seemingly deflated at the end of the match, Roddick dropped the last 20 points of the match. Roddick had been riding the wave of his recent volleying experiments, but against Hewitt watched passing shot after passing shot go by.
"I just stoned them," Roddick said of his volley efforts. "I've been hitting them great all week, you know, better than I have. And today, that's about as bad as I've volleyed. It was just bad. I have to be kind of proud a little bit that I committed to doing it this week...I can't explain it. I felt like I hit a forehand well and missed it by four feet. And I've been volleying really well all week and today I just stoned them. It was bad."
Hewitt, serving solidly all week in Houston, found himself dictating on serve and dominating Roddick's delivery.
"I think he just hadn't had that many opportunities on my service games," Hewitt said. "Even through the first set, it could have been 6-1. I felt I was right on my serve today. Every time we got into a baseline rally, I was dictating play."
Hewitt leads the career head-to-head 7-6, but Club Fed has won the last five meetings, including this week's Masters Cup round robin, and this year's US Open, Wimbledon, Masters Series-Hamburg, and Australian Open.
"It's not going to be easy, you know," Hewitt said. "Obviously, Roger is playing extremely well. You know, as I said after my loss against him the other night, I had a couple of chances out there. Wasn't quite able to take them. Against especially Roger the best players in the world, but especially Roger you have to be able to take him right at the moment. I wasn't able to do that. I haven't been able to do that all year."
In the Masters Cup Doubles final, the defending champion Bryan brothers defeated Zimbabwe's Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 for their tour-leading seventh title of the year, finishing the year No. 2 behind Mark Knowles-Daniel Nestor.