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Ferreira pulls off surprise win over Hewitt in LA ATP event
Los Angeles, Aug 04: Former Olympic bronze medallist Wayne Ferreira captured his 15th career singles title, upsetting Australian Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 4-6 7-5 in the final of the 380,000 Los Angeles ATP event.
Los Angeles, Aug 04: Former Olympic bronze medallist Wayne Ferreira captured his 15th career singles title, upsetting Australian Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 4-6 7-5 in the final of the 380,000 Los Angeles ATP event.
The 31-year-old South African blasted 19 aces yesterday while defeating the tournament's top seed and 2002 Wimbledon champ. He picked up 52,000 dollars in first-place prize money.
"I am over the moon," said Ferreira, whose last tournament title came via a victory over then 19-year-old Hewitt indoors in Stuttgart in 2000. "I played great tennis. I knew I would have to work extremely hard to overpower him."
Ferreira survived three match points in the 10th game of the third set before closing it out with an ace two games later in front of about 3,000 fans at the UCLA tennis stadium.
Ferreira was the oldest player in the draw, but he didn't look like it this week. He is the first South African to win the tournament, joining past champions Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Rod Laver.
"There is not a bad player on that list, and to be up on that winners' board is a real privilege," he said.
Ferreira jackhammered his way through the more difficult side of the draw before facing Hewitt. He beat no 2 seed Sebastien Grosjean of France in the quarter-finals before knocking off hard-serving fifth seed Mark Philippoussis in the semis.
Bureau Report
The 31-year-old South African blasted 19 aces yesterday while defeating the tournament's top seed and 2002 Wimbledon champ. He picked up 52,000 dollars in first-place prize money.
"I am over the moon," said Ferreira, whose last tournament title came via a victory over then 19-year-old Hewitt indoors in Stuttgart in 2000. "I played great tennis. I knew I would have to work extremely hard to overpower him."
Ferreira survived three match points in the 10th game of the third set before closing it out with an ace two games later in front of about 3,000 fans at the UCLA tennis stadium.
Ferreira was the oldest player in the draw, but he didn't look like it this week. He is the first South African to win the tournament, joining past champions Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Rod Laver.
"There is not a bad player on that list, and to be up on that winners' board is a real privilege," he said.
Ferreira jackhammered his way through the more difficult side of the draw before facing Hewitt. He beat no 2 seed Sebastien Grosjean of France in the quarter-finals before knocking off hard-serving fifth seed Mark Philippoussis in the semis.
Bureau Report