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Federer, a tranquil victor, triumphs to meet Hewitt
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-09 10:55
"I felt that he's not that confident on the court because he doesn't show
those emotions that he's usually showing," said Nieminen, who had won only one
match in three previous years at the Open. "Maybe he was a little bit surprised
after the first set."
An Open semifinalist for the fifth time on a hard court similar to the kind
he grew up on in Adelaide, Hewitt had come off an easy straight-sets victory
against No. 15 Dominik Hrbaty in the fourth round. But Hewitt struggled before
winning a five-setter against No. 25 Taylor Dent in the third round.
Nieminen raced relentlessly in the opening set, winning the last five games
as he retrieved shots that seemed out of reach. Hewitt settled into a rhythm in
the second set, winning 19 of 21 points on his way to a 5-0 lead. He served out
the set to even the match 1-1, but then faded again. After they exchanged the
next two sets, Hewitt finally got out of his funk. He broke Nieminen with a
crisp forehand pass and let loose a "Come on!" that now really meant something.
Hewitt served a 122-mph ace _ the first of 10 straight points he won on serve
_ and raced to a 4-0 lead. Nieminen made one last stand, enduring nine deuces
before holding serve. But Hewitt streaked through the next two games, closing
out the match with a volley winner and yelling "Come on!" one last
time.
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