Fans’ favourite, Hewitt, bows out amid encomium

As Lleyton Hewitt walked on to the Rod Laver Arena at 9.00 a.m. Nigerian Time (7.00 p.m. in Melbourne), the capacity crowd applauded his every step. Like everyone in the world of tennis, the crowd had one question in mind: “Is this the last match of an illustrious professional career?”

Two hours and 14 minutes later, as he stepped up to serve, with his opponent, David Ferrer, ahead two sets to love and 4-3, the question changed to “is this Hewitt’s last service game?” It turned to be so and it was fitting that, although he lost the first point, he won that game which lasted 10 minutes!

The indication that it was going to be a long night was given in the opening game of the first set.

Hewitt and Ferrer are among the best retrievers in the game. Down a break point, the Aussie fought hard and earned the deuce when Ferrer netted a volley.

The advantage point was taken by Hewitt but the game point lasted all of 23 rallies. The partisan crowd roared. Ferrer had to struggle to hold his serve in the second game despite hitting a double fault at deuce. He cancelled it with a deft crosscourt volley and then took the game.

Ferrer earned a break in the fifth game when Hewitt’s backhand shot did not cross the net. He earned a second break in the seventh game. Serving with new tennis balls, Ferrer had to stave off a determined effort that saw him behind 15-40; needing an ace and a service winner to clinch the game and the first set in 37 minutes.

Donning a new shirt, Ferrer fought hard to break Hewitt in the first game of the second set. Serving to take the game at 40-30, the game went to deuce and Hewitt saved two break points before holding.

Ferrer won the second game without dropping a point, but Hewitt took his serve on the third game.

The Spaniard won the fourth game without dropping a point and broke Hewitt at love in the fifth. The thrill came in the eight game with Ferrer serving. Up 40-30, Hewitt battled back to deuce. Ferrer had the first advantage point but lost it and had to save seven break points before winning the game that Hewitt took the serve sealing it with an ace. The Spaniard served out the 63-minute set.

The third set was delayed by a medical time interval and a trainer came on court to massage Hewitt’s legs below and above his knees. There was palpable anxiety that he might not be able to continue.

However, in characteristic doggedness, Hewitt stepped on court and won a 10-minte first game. Ferrer earned the first break in the third game, in which Hewitt received a foot-fault call while serving at 15-30. Ferrer consolidated the break to lead 3-1 but Hewitt held his serve and broke back in the sixth game to level at 3-all. Hopes of a Hewitt come-back reduced when Ferrer broke to lead 4-3.

There was a slight sign of frustration setting in, when Hewitt spoke unhappily to the Umpire during the change-over. When he returned to court, it turned out to be the last time Hewitt would serve in a professional tennis match. He started with a double-fault to go down 0-15, but leveled to 15-all and wrong-footed Ferrer to lead 30-15.

A netted forehand gave Ferrer 30-all but Hewitt won the next two points to take the game. The crowd roared in thunderous applause. Their hero was not going down without a fight. David Ferrer would have to hold his next serve to win the match.

When the eighth world ranked Spaniard bounced the ball preceding his first delivery in the tenth game, the question on everyone’s mind was clearly “is this Hewitt’s last game?”

Ferrer gave the inclination of a positive answer; when he delivered a winning serve (187kph) to go up 15-love. Although he dropped the next point, he took the next three to win the match 6/2; 6/4; 6/4 in 2 hours and 33 minutes.

After the mandatory handshake at the net, the two players exchanged words, hugged and walked, smiling, to thank the umpire.

In the interview on court, Ferrer fought back tears in saying the match was a special moment in his career on a night that “truly belonged to Hewitt,” who he described as perhaps the only idol he has in tennis.