TENNIS: Italian underdog Andreas Seppi saved two match points in a stunning 4-6 7-5 7-5 win over world number four Lleyton Hewitt at the Sydney International yesterday. Hewitt, a four times winner of the Australian Open warm-up event, led 5-3 in the second and third sets and twice served for the match only to self-destruct on each occasion.
Seppi, ranked 60th in the world, fought back to win the last four games of both sets as Hewitt inexplicably fell apart, the Australian contributing 61 unforced errors to the Italian's 27 winners.
Hewitt appeared to have regained his composure after losing the second set when he broke Seppi early in the final one and served for the match at 5-4.
He twice got to match point but squandered both chances as the Italian reeled off the next four games to register the biggest win of his career. "This is one of my greatest days, to beat Hewitt here in Sydney, it's a special thing for me," said Seppi, who had to play three qualifying matches just to get into the tournament.
Seppi will play Igor Andreev in today's semi-finals after he beat fellow Russian Dmitry Tursonov 6-2 3-6 6-4. The other semi-final will be between another Russian, Nikolay Davydenko, and American James Blake. Blake beat Arnaud Clement 3-6 6-1 6-4 while second seed Davydenko got a free ride into the semi-finals when Paradorn Srichaphan pulled out of their match with a thigh strain after beating Ivo Karlovic 7-6 7-6 in a delayed second round match.
While Hewitt unravelled, Justine Henin-Hardenne served notice she is back to her devastating best by thrashing Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 6-1 to reach the women's final.
Henin-Hardenne hardly broke sweat on a hot and humid day at the Olympic tennis centre as she booked her place in today's final against Francesca Schiavone, the first Italian woman to reach the Sydney final. The seventh seed has never won a WTA Tour event but made it through to her sixth final with a 6-4 6-3 win over Czech Nicole Vaidisova.
Croatian Mario Ancic, conqueror of Britain's Andy Murray, is full of confidence as he heads into the Heineken Open semi-final in Auckland against Swiss youngster Stanislas Wawrinka.
The world number 22 Ancic pulled off a surprise result in beating defending champion and top seed Fernando Gonzalez 6-0 6-3 in less than an hour.
"I think I was playing extremely well," said Ancic. "I was really happy that I finished it off and didn't give too many chances to such a high-quality player."
Rising star Wawrinka, Roger Federer's Davis Cup partner, had little trouble dispatching German Florian Mayer 6-3 6-4 in their quarter-final clash.
Meanwhile, Michaella Krajicek advanced to the final of the Hobart International against occasional practice partner Iveta Benesova yesterday. Benesova had to overcome a sluggish start and a deficit in the second set to record a 4-6 7-5 6-1 victory over Italy's Mara Santangelo, while the Dutchwoman easily beat Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-4 6-2 in the late match.
