13 - 19 September 2001
Issue No.551
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 13 - 19 September 2001 Issue No.551 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
A little too good
Twenty-year-old Australian Lleyton Hewitt outclassed four-time US Open champion Pete Sampras 7-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Sunday to win the prestigious title and claim the first Grand Slam victory of his young career.
SMILES ALL AROUND: Serena and Venus Williams pose with their trophies. Hewitt, right, collapses after beating Sampras
( photos: AP & AFP )
The fourth-seeded Hewitt made Sampras look ordinary at Arthur Ashe Stadium as he raced around the centre court to retrieve whatever the 30-year-old American had to offer. Hewitt whipped a backhand crosscourt service return winner to end the stunningly one-sided final in one hour, 54 minutes.
While everything seemed to be going Hewitt's way, Sampras appeared to be a shadow of the player who ruthlessly beat Patrick Rafter, Andre Agassi and Marat Safin to get to the final. Whether it was the bright American spotlight and tremendous pressure that got to him or simply fatigue, Sampras made unforced error after error and couldn't retrieve his winning ways.
The Australian beat Sampras, winner of a record 13 career Grand Slam titles, on the 11th anniversary of the American's first major victory in the 1990 US Open. Hewitt won $850,000 for his triumph while Sampras picked up $425,000.
The defeat to Hewitt ended a record-tying run of eight years in a row with at least one Grand Slam victory for Sampras. Sampras had won a Slam every year since 1992 to tie a mark held by Bjorn Borg. "I lost to a great champion," Sampras told the crowd of 23,960. "You're going to see this Lleyton Hewitt guy for the next 10 years like you saw me... It was a good run but unfortunately I ran into a young guy who was a little too good today."
"I don't know what I can say," said Hewitt. "I got a bit lucky out there. I got better with every match I played in the last two weeks. It's a real dream come true."
A day earlier, fourth seed Venus Williams successfully defended her US Open title by beating 10th-seeded younger sister Serena in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.
Venus opened the second set by breaking her 10th seeded sister at love to extend her run to six games in a row, then made it seven, by holding for a 2-0 lead as the unforced errors mounted for Serena. Serena, the 1999 champion, finally put a solid service game together to halt the string, holding at love to make it 2-1. The younger Williams sister put the set back on serve with her first service break of the match in the next game to make it 2-2 as Venus put a pair of backhands into the net. Venus, however, broke right back for 3-2 when Serena went for a big backhand winner that went long on the second break point of the game.
The run of breaks continued in the sixth game with Serena again levelling the set at 3-3 with a forehand volley winner at 40-30. She had a double break point but squandered the first chance by putting a service return into the net.
Serena fended off yet another break point in the seventh game and held serve with a service winner for a 4-3 lead. But she put herself in deep trouble in the ninth game as she double faulted on her first two points and lost the third to fall behind 40-0.
Serena saved one break point, but a backhand winner by Venus on the next gave Venus a 5-4 lead and a chance to serve for the championship.
Venus held serve to take the title when Serena put a backhand into the net on the first match point to end the historic 69-minute family affair.
Venus, this year's Wimbledon champion, made it through the entire championship without dropping a set and took 69 minutes to beat her younger sister and collect the $850,000 top prize.
Serena, the 1999 Open champion, committed 36 unforced errors in an erratic performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 19-year-old received $425,000.
The sisters embraced at the net after the match. "I love you," Venus told her defeated sibling. The match marked the first Grand Slam final between sisters in 117 years when Maud Watson beat Lillian in the first Wimbledon women's final in 1884.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page