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4/12/09 12:48 AM | Kelli DeMario
Lleyton Hewitt is one match win away from collecting his 27th ATP World Tour title. The former No. 1 defeated Evgeny Korolev in the semifinals of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship on Saturday.
Lleyton Hewitt looks to end a two-year title drought, reaching the finals in Houston Saturday afternoon. The veteran Australian withstood the power of Russian Evgeny Korolev to win in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4. Hewitt last held a championship trophy in 2007 at the tournament in Las Vegas.
Hewitt earned a break point in the first game of the match, but could not convert. Both men played well in set one, neither surrendering serve on their way to a tiebreak. The two-time Grand Slam champion, behind his trademark movement and steady groundstrokes, took a 5-2 lead. Korolev, showcasing his weight of shot from the baseline, failed to keep his error count in check. The Russian handed Hewitt four set points on a wild backhand error, falling behind 6-2. A double-fault from Hewitt closed the deficit to 6-4, but Hewitt regrouped on a crafty serve out wide, closing the tiebreak.
Set two began the same way as the first set, with both competitors holding serve easily to reach 4-4. Hewitt, who did not face a single break point in the match, quickly snagged three match-point opportunities on the Korolev serve at 5-4. The Russian, still striking errors from both wings, lost serve for the first--and only--time in the match on a backhand launched over the baseline.
Hewitt finished the day winning 31 of 38 points on his first serve. He will play American Wayne Odesnik in Sunday afternoon’s final. Odesnik secured his place in the title match by dismissing German Bjorn Phau in straight sets.
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