Hewitt fights his way into quarters - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Hewitt fights his way into quarters

By Paul Mulvey 01/06/2004 05:46:49 AM Comments (0)

Lleyton Hewitt's French Open campaign continues to build momentum after he charged into the quarter finals with a straight-sets, fourth-round win over Xavier Malisse.

Hewitt again showed his fighting qualities to break Malisse when the Belgian served for the first and third sets and then saved five set points in the third to win 7-5 6-2 7-6 (8-6).

The 12th seed will meet unseeded Gaston Gaudio in the quarter-finals on Wednesday after the Argentinian beat Igor Andreev 6-4 7-5 6-3.

Hewitt was hanging on at 3-5 down in the first set before breaking the world No.54 and then going on to win the next four games and the set.

In the third set, Malisse again stepped up to serve leading 5-3 only for the tenacious Australian to break again, but his fight wasn't over there.

Hewitt saved two set points on his serve, getting out of trouble by probing away at the Belgian's backhand and then three more in the tie breaker which he trailed 6-3.

"I just tried to hang in there more than anything," Hewitt said.

"At 6-3 in the tie breaker I just had to try to get through those two service points, get it to 6-5, at least make him think about it at 6-5 serving for it, that he's wasted two opportunities and this could be his last set point.

"He got a little bit tight on that point, then I played a good point at 6-6, put the pressure on him and was able to win it on my serve."

Gaudio is one of four Argentinians through to the quarters with David Nalbandian, Juan Ignacio Chela and Guillermo Coria all in separate matches and theoretically headed for all-Argentine-semi finals.

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