By Chris Oddo / Sunday, January 5, 2014

 

Lleyton Hewitt started fast and finished strong, taking down Roger Federer in three sets in the Brisbane final.

Photo Source: AP

Lleyton Hewitt is a tough out on his home soil.

Just a day after winning his ninth consecutive semifinal in Australia, the 32-year-old improved his record in finals on home soil to 7-2 with a convincing 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Roger Federer in Brisbane.

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The title is the 29th of Hewitt's career, in 45 finals, and although Federer has won 16 of his last 18 matches against Hewitt, he has now lost his last two finals to the Adelaide native.

Having not dropped serve all week, Federer should have entered the final with confidence brimming, but instead he played a nightmarish first set, dropping serve three times and committing 22 unforced errors to fall behind.

“Lleyton was better than me today,” Federer said after the final. “I'll still move on with great memories from this wonderful place here in Brisbane, Queensland. My family enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and I couldn't have been happier here this week.”

Though Hewitt still controlled play for much of the second set, Federer was able to manage a late break in the ninth game of the set, and he responded with a love hold to even the contest at a set apiece.

With the momentum in his favor, Federer looked to move in for the kill in the early part of the third set, but Hewitt, always bristling for the battle, fought his way out of trouble on several occasions.

In the first game, Hewitt saved four break points, then after a quick Federer hold, he saved another in the next game. The disappointment appeared to linger for Federer, and when he found himself in trouble in the very next game he wasn't able to keep Hewitt at bay.

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Hewitt's relentlessness certainly played a large part in the outcome, but Federer's inability to convert his opportunities in the final set—not to mention his alarming error count and lack of backhand winners—was what ultimately did him in.

He finished one for 10 on break point opportunities, and he would watch his last two fall by the wayside with Hewitt serving at 4-2 and the rowdy Aussie crowd roaring in the final set. It was a particularly frustrating evening for Federer's return game, as he was unable to capitalize on the fact that Hewitt made less than 50 percent of his first serves in the final two sets of the match.

But all credit to Hewitt's nerve. He held fast with Federer knocking on the door for much of the final set, and his reward is another ATP title, which moves him past Andy Murray and into sole possession of 25th place on the ATP's all-time title list. He'll no doubt go down as one of the greatest fighters of his generation, and that boisterous spirit was on full display on this evening.

The former world No. 1 saved 29 of 34 break points that he faced during the week in Brisbane, and he improved his lifetime record against the ATP's top 10 to 65-68 with the win.