Agaknya Lleyton Hewitt tidak mengecewakan publik Australia. Pada tanggal 26 Januari 2005 ini yang adalah Australia Day, dia jungkir balik sampai 5 sets selama 4 jam lebih melawan David Nalbandian. Di set akhir, dia menang 10-8.
Salam, RM ----------------------------- (australianopen.com) Hewitt Wins in Five, Roddick Two-and-a-Half by Damian Glass Wednesday, 26 January, 2005 Lleyton Hewitt has had to survive a comeback from Argentine David Nalbandian to win a classic five-set quarter-final at the Centenary Australian Open, setting up a semi-final clash with No.2 seed Andy Roddick. In a remarkable match which lasted for just over four hours, Hewitt defeated Nalbandian 6-3 6-2 1-6 3-6 10-8, with the Australian struggling in the third and fourth sets, seemingly restricted by his troublesome hip flexor injury. But, in his trademark style, Hewitt rallied in the deciding set as the two combatants played out a memorable contest. The marathon final set lasted for more than 100 minutes and featured only one break of serve - which came in the 17th game and ultimately proved decisive for the Australian. On Nalbandian's serve, Hewitt had a break-point and attacked a short ball, meeting it on the full in mid-court and driving a backhand down the line to secure the crucial break of serve in the fifth set to lead 9-8. For the first time Hewitt had a chance to serve for the match and, in contrast to most of Hewitt's other service games in the set, the Australian raced to a 40-0 lead. The Australian's serve had been under more pressure than the Argentine's but with a sniff of victory, needed only one match point to win a see-sawing contest. The match had looked set for an early finish as Hewitt grabbed a two-sets-to-love lead but just as a fireworks display as part of the Australia Day celebrations went off outside Rod Laver Arena during the start of third set, Hewitt appeared to lose his concentration. Nalbandian seized his chance to get back in the match, breezing through the third and fourth sets 6-1 6-3 to take the momentum into the deciding set. With the advantage of serving first, the Argentine had the upper hand and Hewitt was forced to defend grimly knowing that losing his serve could mean losing the match. However, at no stage in the final set did Hewitt face a break point on his serve, meaning he never had to defend a match point. Earlier on Rod Laver Arena, Roddick progressed to the semi-finals after his opponent - Russian No.26 seed Nikolay Davydenko - was forced to retire due to the extreme heat, with the American on track to record a straight-sets win, leading 6-3 7-5 4-1. Davydenko had made it through to the last eight without conceding a set. Along the way he had claimed the scalps of two seeded players - including No.7 seed Tim Henman - but in three previous attempts against Roddick, the Russian had yet to register a win. But it was clear on Rod Laver Arena that Davydenko was going to have to negotiate a lot more than Roddick's 200km/h serve. The oppressive conditions were shaping as the biggest threat to Davydenko's progress in the tournament After his fourth-round defeat of Argentine Guillermo Canas in straight sets, Davydenko gave a hint of the difficulties he may face having to play Roddick in the stifling heat. Davydenko revealed that he would have struggled to continue against Canas had the match been forced into a fourth or fifth set. With the temperature on Rod Laver Arena hovering in the high 30's when the match started at 4pm, Davydenko began confidently against Roddick. He matched the world No.2 until the eighth game of the first set when the American broke serve to take a 5-3 lead. Roddick took the set 6-3 and, after breaking Davydenko's serve to take a 3-2 lead in the second set, the first signs of Davydenko's trouble with the stifling conditions began to show. "(At first) I took a break for one or two minutes and the next two or three points were OK. I can play. I can control everything. But then I felt something is coming, coming so bad and then everything felt not so good," Davydenko said. "I didn't play with Roddick, I play by myself, I played with the weather." Davydenko called for a doctor for the first time at the change of ends and after a short delay in which he complained of shortness of breath and used a Ventolin spray, the Russian returned to court. After that, as the players rested at every change of ends, Davydenko wore an ice vest to cool his body temperature down and initially it seemed to have the desired effect. Davydenko broke back and leading 5-4 in the second set he had a set point on Roddick's serve. But Roddick held on and immediately broke Davydenko to secure a 6-5 lead. The American then served the set out to take it 7-5. Down two-sets-to-love and with the conditions not improving, Davydenko's serve was broken twice in the third set. At 1-4 the Russian decided enough was enough and voluntarily ended his stay in the Australian Open 2005. "The doctor told me it was the heat," Davydenko said. "Instead of concentrating on the match I was concentrating on my body, how I was feeling, what I was doing and what I needed to do later." "If the degrees were not like today, like maybe 30 it is better for me because today it was too hot." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give the gift of life to a sick child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.' http://us.click.yahoo.com/lGEjbB/6WnJAA/E2hLAA/BRUplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.uni.cc *************************************************************************** __________________________________________________________________________ Mohon Perhatian: 1. 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