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Marathon Moya upsets Hewitt in five sets to reach fourth round
Updated: Wednesday February 14, 2001 3:25 PM
MELBOURNE (CNNSI) -- Former world No. 1 Carlos Moya came from behind to beat Australian teenager Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in a marathon third round match at the Australian Open that began on Saturday and did not finish until the next day. The 1997 Australian Open finalist got the critical break in the 11th game of the final set when Hewitt double-faulted after saving three previous break points. The Spaniard then held his own service to seal victory just after 1 a.m. Sunday morning following an epic battle that lasted three hours, 48 minutes. "The way I won this match was unbelievable," Moya said. "He's a great fighter and he never gives up and I had to play really well to beat him." Hewitt, who had to come from a set down to beat Swede Jonas Bjorkman on Tuesday night in another five setter that went past midnight, fought back from a break down to win the third set but dropped serve three times to lose the fourth then once more in the fifth to concede defeat. "It was as close as anything. At the end of the day I gave everything I had," Hewitt said. Moya will now play Rainer Schuttler for a spot in the quarterfinals after the German beat Canada's Daniel Nestor in straight sets on Saturday afternoon. "I knew it was going to be a battle. I never gave up," said Moya, who is on the comeback trail after a back injury at the 1998 U.S. Open almost ended his career. "A few people thought that I was done ... but now everything is going right, I'm healthy and I'm getting back there."
Reuters contributed to this report. |
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