ao05hewitt_nadal

Points won by each set: [ 41-36, 22-30, 14-26, 44-42, 33-18 ]
Points won directly behind the serve:
26 % Hewitt – 38 of 146
20 % Nadal – 32 of 160

That match it was a process of learning for 18-year-old Nadal [56] who soon became the second best player in the world, a machine of endurance. At the time he didn’t know how to distribute his energy through 4-hour distance. Two months later he’ll lose similar match to Federer – in both those matches he ran out of gas in the decider # At 4-all in the 1st set he squandered 4 break points, one after a 28-stroke rally. Hewitt [3] led *2:0 in the 2nd set when the Spaniard won 12 out of the next 14 games! That crazy streak physically cost him a lot and the Australian quite comfortably held six times in the 4th set (trailed 15/30 at 4-all & 5-all). He won the tie-break 7/3, and Nadal entered the decider without self-belief. He started to fight when he was already a double break down.

# Comparison of Nadal’s two similar defeats in 2005:
Auss Open (4R): Hewitt d. Nadal 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 7-6, 6-2… 3 hours 53 minutes… Total points: 154-152… Nadal four points away
Miami (final): Federer d. Nadal 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1… 3 hours 43 minutes… Total points: 157-150… Nadal two points away

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