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Tied Ferrero beats Rafter, levels Davis Cup final at 1-1
Updated: Tuesday December 12, 2000 6:12 PM
BARCELONA, Spain (CNN/SI) -- The Davis Cup final looks like a jinx for Pat Rafter. The former world No. 1 missed Australia's championship last year against France because of surgery a few weeks earlier on his right shoulder. He made it to this year's final, but was forced to retire Friday in the fourth set with mysterious cramping against Juan Carlos Ferrero, giving Spain a 1-1 split after Friday's singles matches. Ferrero, a surprise choice to play over Spain's top player all season, Alex Corretja, won 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) 6-2, 3-1 with a 14,000 sellout whistling and willing on a team chasing its first Davis title to Australia's 27. In the first singles match, Lleyton Hewitt defeated Albert Costa 3-6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a 4 hour 10 minute marathon with the Australian ripping the crowd as the "worst" he'd ever played before. "I don't mind whistling, but you're not playing a soccer game out there," said Hewitt, who has been criticized for his chest-thumping, fist-waving tactics on court. Rafter, who had shoulder surgery 14 months ago and missed Australia's winning '99 final against France, picked up what appeared to be a back and hip injury in the eighth game of the third set. He leaped high into the air for an overhead and came down off balance but played out the game -- the final of the set. He lasted four more games before signaling he'd had enough. Captain John Newcombe said Rafter retired as a precaution but expected him to play Sunday's reverse singles. He said he had cramping in his forearm, thigh and hip and pulled him when it seemed unlikely he'd beat the young Spaniard. "He'll be OK to play on Sunday," Newcombe said. "We're a bit puzzled. I think he was tired or maybe he was tense after watching the Hewitt match in the locker room." Rafter started fast and won the first set tiebreaker 7-4, rallying after he was down 4-0. He served two straight aces to lead 5-4 and then took Ferrero's next two serves to close out the set. In the second, Ferrero broke Rafter to love to take a 4-2 lead. But like Costa before him, he couldn't hold on and was broken in the ninth and forced again to a tiebreaker. This time he got ahead 4-1 and won 7-2. Ferrero began to serve and return better in the third set and had Rafter -- playing some serve and volley on the slick clay -- on the ropes from the start after breaking him to love in the first game. He did it again in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead en route to winning 6-2. "I don't have the feeling I've won the Davis Cup, but I have won a point," said Ferrero, who is 4-0 in Davis play and 2-0 vs. Rafter. "Nothing is decided yet." The self-confident 19-year-old Hewitt, who was criticized the last few days by Corretja for his on-court behavior, was the main target of the partisans at Palau Sant Jordi. They waved red and yellow Spanish flags and openly cheered missed first serves with the chair umpires in both matches continually calling out, "Silencio, por favor, silencio." "Definitely that last game was the worst game I've ever seen," he said. "You know, if they're going to have a rule that you give out point penalties or whatever for the crowd going over the top, I don't think it will come any worse than that. I think someone's got to step up and say something." Newcombe said the crowd was loud but expected in the Davis Cup. "Hewitt didn't do anything to insult the crowd, but they wanted to upset him because of his character," he said. "They were making a lot of noise; that's what you expect." Spanish captain Javier Duarte had no complaints. "The fans were great, well-mannered and did the right thing," he said. "I would give them a 9 out of 10. But we still need them to be even more active."
In Saturday's doubles, Corretja teamed with Joan Balcells
against Sandon Stolle and Mark Woodforde. In Sunday singles,
Corretja is expected to fill in for either Costa or Ferrero. Costa
is to face Rafter -- if he can play -- and Ferrero is to go against
Hewitt.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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