South African Wayne Ferreira beat Australian teenager Lleyton Hewitt in a thrilling five-setter to win the Stuttgart Masters Series final today. Ferreira, 29, survived a battle which lasted more than four hours to beat his 19-year-old opponent 7-6 3-6 6-7 7-6 6-2, and claim his first tournament victory in four years.
Hewitt, the eighth seed in the $2.95-million indoor event, fought bravely for four sets but collapsed in the fifth and failed to emulate Belgian girlfriend Kim Clijsters who won the Leipzig final a few hours earlier. The unseeded Ferreira proved fresher at the end of a marathon with three tie breaks, to take his first title since 1996 and become the eighth winner in as many Masters Series tournaments this year. "I felt no pressure at all because I had nothing to lose and I just tried to enjoy myself," said Ferreira. "It was fun but I'm totally exhausted." (Reuters)
Filed by Shane Murray
