1 Response to daviscup03hewitt_ferrero

1. Voo de Mar says:

   December 2, 2020 at 3:36 pm

   Points won by each set: | 25-36, 32-23, 28-33, 45-41, 33-17 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   31 % Hewitt – 46 of 147
   22 % Ferrero – 38 of 166

   Untypical rubber as a starter of the Davis Cup final because there faced each other top guys at the time – the best player in the world of years 2001-02 Hewitt [17], and Ferrero [3], who was at the top for a short time in 2003. It’s a very important win in Hewitt’s legacy, actually not only that match against Ferrero, but also a preceeding semifinal rubber against Federer… The year 2003 was very bitter for Hewitt. After two years of his domination on the men’s scene, he lost his great form in March ’03, and after a series of failed appearances, he decided to entirely focus on the Davis Cup. Following the US Open (lost to Ferrero in QF) he played just three matches to the end of the season, all of them representing Australia, and notched two three-and-a-half-hour five-set victories that were crucial for the Davis Cup triumph for Australia and Hewitt’s patriotic legacy: first in September against Federer, then two months later against Ferrero – both victories he enjoyed on the Rod Lever Arena (hard and grass respectively) – a place where he was disappointing himself & the Aussie fans throughout his career playing at the Australian Open… Against Ferrero he was serving at 5:3 in the 4th set, but was broken to ‘love’. He conserved more energy around three hours of play, and from the beginning of the tie-break he overpowered his one year older opponent. The crucial point occurred at 1:0* for Hewitt in that blank tie-break, when he played an amazing point in defence, and collected 11 consecutive points in total. Hewitt won 4 out of 6 games in the final set not dropping a point (he created break points in all Ferrero’s four service games). In the decisive fifth rubber, Hewitt was supposed to face Moya, but it didn’t happen as Philippoussis clinched the tie with another 5-set victory over Ferrero.

   Comparison of their two five-setters:
   Shanghai 2002 (final): Hewitt d. Ferrero 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4… 3 hours 51 minutes… Total points: 138-143… Ferrero 8 pts away
   Davis Cup 2003 (final): Hewitt d. Ferrero 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2… 3 hours 36 minutes… Total points: 163-150… Ferrero 7 pts away

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