Hewitt on the verge of Newport final

Updated July 14, 2012 11:01:54

Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt is only a match away from his first appearance in a tournament final in two years at the ATP Tour's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island.

Hewitt, ranked 233 in the world, will meet American Rajeev Ram in the semi-finals on Saturday (local time), as he attempts to win his first tournament since lifting the trophy at Halle in 2010.

The 31-year-old has 28 career titles to his name.

The winner of the semi-final will meet either defending champion John Isner or another American Ryan Harrison in the tournament decider after both won through to the last four.

Top seed Isner hammered 12 aces to defeat Izak van der Merwe 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), while Harrison was leading 6-4, 3-0 in his quarter-final when Germany's Benjamin Becker retired with an injury.

Meanwhile, Janko Tipsarevic and Juan Monaco reached the Stuttgart clay court semi-finals with the top-seeded Serb surviving a gruelling quarter-final against German Bjorn Phau.

Tipsarevic saved four match points as he claimed a 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 victory in just under three hours.

The 28-year-old Tipsarevic will face Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci, who defeated Germany's Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-4, 6-1, in the semi-finals.

The second-seeded Monaco eased past Slovakian qualifier Pavol Cernevak 6-1, 7-5 and will next meet Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who thumped German wildcard Dustin Brown 6-0, 6-3.

In other ATP World Tour events, Spanish top seed David Ferrer remains on track for the Swedish Open title in Bastad after beating compatriot Tommy Robredo 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in the quarter-finals.

Another Spainiard, top seed Fernando Verdasco, is still alive at the Croatian International in Umag after defeating Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2, 6-2.

ABC/AFP

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First posted July 14, 2012 11:01:54

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Isner powers past Hewitt in Newport final

Updated July 16, 2012 08:13:44

John Isner fired 16 aces in a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 victory over Australian Lleyton Hewitt on Monday morning (AEST) to win the ATP Hall of Fame Championships title for the second-straight year.

"It's huge for me," the top-seeded American said.

"It's the first time I've ever defended a title. I'm very happy to come through today against a great opponent -- in my opinion one of the greatest ever. It's a big win for me."

Hewitt, who received a wildcard into the draw, was playing in his first final since June 2010, when he captured his 28th career title on the grass courts at Halle.

The two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one from Australia has battled a string of injuries in recent years and underwent radical foot surgery in February.

Isner's triumph ended Hewitt's unbeaten career run in grass court finals, putting his record at 7-1.

But with his run to the championship match, Hewitt is projected to rise from his current 233rd in the world to about 151 in the world rankings.

His performance was also a morale-builder as he prepares for the Olympic tennis competition at Wimbledon, where the 31-year-old Aussie will play singles as a wild card entrant.

Isner is also slated for Olympic action and welcomed the chance to tune-up for the Games with tournament competition.

He will fit in one more ATP tournament before the Games, heading the field at the Atlanta tournament that starts on Monday.

"The best practice is match practice," said Isner, who saved the only break point he faced in the match in the first set.

The American gained the only break of the contest to take a 2-1 lead in the second set, and that was the only opening he needed.

After Hewitt saved one match point against his serve in the ninth game, Isner closed it out with a dominant service game that opened with two aces, followed by a service winner and his final ace of the match on his second match point.

Isner claimed his fourth career title, and his first of 2012 after runner-up finishes at Indian Wells and Houston.

AFP

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First posted July 16, 2012 07:49:55

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Aussie Ebden chalks up Newport win

Posted July 6, 2011 11:26:00

Australia's Matthew Ebden is through to the second round of the ATP Hall of Fame Championships in Newport with an upset win over fourth seed Ryan Sweeting.

Ebden knocked off the American 6-4, 6-2 and next takes on unknown German Mattias Bachinger.

John Isner, top seed for the first time in an ATP World Tour event, also had an easy passage through to the next round, dismissing Slovakian Karol Beck 6-3, 6-2.

It was the big American's first ever win in the tournament following two consecutive first-round exits.

He is bidding to become the first top seed to take out the tournament since Vijay Amritraj claimed the inaugural edition way back in 1976.

Isner next takes on veteran Frenchman Arnaud Clement, who eclipsed last year's quarter-finalist Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-1.

Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, a finalist in 2007, crushed Argentine Sebastian Decoud 6-1, 6-0 to book a second-round clash with sixth seed Olivier Rochus of Belgium.

Meanwhile at the WTA Swedish Open, Australia's Olivia Rogowska bowed out 6-2, 7-5 at the hands of Italian second seed Flavia Pennetta.

Top-ranked Dane Caroline Wozniacki advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of France's Alize Cornet.

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Aussie Ebden into Newport quarters

Updated July 7, 2011 13:20:00

Australia's Matthew Ebden advanced to the quarter-finals of the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport after a three-set win in the second round.

Ebden took down unknown German Matthias Bachinger 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with Belgian Olivier Rochus.

The sixth seed recorded a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut.

Top seed John Isner of the United States eliminated Arnaud Clement 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 and next takes on compatriot Alex Bogomolov Jnr, who beat Belgian Ruben Bemelmans 2-6, 6-0, 6-1.

The other two quarter-finals will pit France's Edouard Roger-Vasselin against eight-seeded German Tobias Kamke and American qualifier Michael Yani against compatriot and wildcard Denis Kudla.

Meanwhile, top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki retired from her second-round match at the Swedish Open against local favourite Sofia Arvidsson because of a shoulder injury.

Wozniacki won the first set 6-2 and lost the opening game of the second when she was forced to quit.

Second-ranked Flavia Pennetta progressed with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Germany's Angelique Kerber.

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First posted July 7, 2011 13:00:00

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