Hewitt Faces Moya Sunday In Cincinnati Final

Sportsticker

  
 
   

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Lleyton Hewitt is one win away from earning his 11th consecutive ATP final.

The top-seeded Australian fired 20 aces, converted 4-of-5 break-point chances and rallied to beat Chile's Fernando Gonzalez on Saturday night, 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 6-2, to reach the final of the $2.95 million Tennis Masters Series - Cincinnati.

In Sunday's title match, Hewitt encounters No. 16 Carlos Moya of Spain, who dropped just nine points on his serve earlier Saturday en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fellow countryman and eighth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero.

This year, Hewitt and Moya have met twice on clay in Monte Carlo and Rome and the Spaniard won both matches.

Dating to January 2001, when he captured the Sydney hardcourt title, Hewitt has won 10 straight finals, including the Wimbledon title last month.

Hewitt may have established himself as the top hardcourt player in the world in Friday's quarterfinals. He recorded five service breaks and battled for a 7-5, 6-3 victory over sixth seed Andre Agassi to reach the semifinals.

The reigning U.S. Open champion, Hewitt has added four trophies to his career haul this year. In addition to San Jose, he took hardcourt title at the TMS event in Indian Wells and grasscourt crowns at the Queen's Club and Wimbledon.

Moya triumphed on Saturday in the first all-Spanish semifinal in the 103-year history of this event and beat Ferrero for just the second time in seven all-time meetings. His only other win came in their first career encounter at the 1999 Barcelona claycourt event.

Moya also became the first Spanish finalist at Cincinnati in 29 years. Manuel Orantes lost to Romania's Ilie Nastase in the 1973 final. No player from Spain has won the Cincinnati title in the 103-year history of the event.

The 25-year-old Moya reached his first Tennis Masters Series final since 1999 at Indian Wells. The former world No. 1 retired in the second round of the 1999 U.S. Open with a back injury, struggled with it throughout the 2000 season and finally believes he is back to full fitness.

Moya already has claimed claycourt titles this year at Acapulco, Bastad and Umag.

Moya will look to capture his second career Tennis Masters Series title after winning at Monte Carlo in 1998.

The top prize is $392,000.

Copyright © 2002 SportsTicker Enterprises, L.P.