Hewitt, Ferrero meet in Cup Final

Karl Malakunas, Agence France-Presse, Shanghai

World number one Lleyton Hewitt beat Switzerland's Roger Federer here on Saturday in a three-set thriller to book a spot in the US$3.75 million Masters Cup final against Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Hewitt defeated Federer 7-5, 5-7, 7-5, and Ferrero beat Moya 6-7 (6/8) 6-4, 6-4 in two entertaining matches that treated the near-capacity crowd at Shanghai's New International Expo Center to the best tennis of the tournament.

Hewitt, who was this week crowned year-ending number one for a second straight year, showed all his famous fighting qualities to save 17 break points in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Spanish number one Ferrero, who will finish in the world's top five for the second consecutive year, proved too consistent from the baseline in a match that thrilled the crowd.

The man nicknamed the "Mosquito" for his tenacity from the back of the court took the semifinals with a rare foray into the net on his first match point, hitting a delicate drop volley winner that brought Moya to his knees.

Moya, who had gone into the semifinals undefeated after three round robin victories over world number one Hewitt, number three Marat Safin and countryman Albert Costa, took the first set with an ace at 6-7 in the tie breaker.

Ferrero had looked in control of the first set after breaking to go up 4-2, but then double-faulted on break point while trying to serve it out at 5-3. The normally unflappable Ferrero showed his disgust by bouncing his racquet.

He had another chance to take the set at 6-5 in the tie-break, but he hit an off-forehand close to the line, which was called out.

With slumped shoulders, Ferrero argued with the umpire as he changed ends, hit a forehand long to go 6-7, then watched a pumped-up Moya serve an ace to take the set.

However Ferrero regrouped quickly for the second set, breaking Moya in the first game and holding his serve throughout to take it 6-4.

In the third, Ferrero saved a break point in the second game, but from then on piled the pressure on Moya's serve, eventually breaking him at 3-3 on his fifth break point.