Lleyton Hewitt became the first man to win four Stella Artois Championship titles when he beat James Blake at the Queen’s Club today, despite attempts at a fightback from the American.
Hewitt made a superb start, breaking Blake in the first game of the match, and only dropped one point - a double fault - in his first three service games. But Blake slowly got to grips with the conditions and three attacking shots gave him one break back to bring it back to 5-3.
Hewitt, however, held his nerve second time around to serve out and take the first set 6-4.
Blake acquitted himself much better in the second set until another controversial line call knocked him out of his stride in the seventh game. A Blake forehand was called wide by the umpire in the first point of the game and Hewitt went on to grab the potentially crucial break for a 4-3 lead.
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Despite dropping 0-30 behind when he was serving for the match, Hewitt recovered his poise and a service winner wrapped up his fourth Stella Artois title 6-4, 6-4.
Hewitt joins Boris Becker and John McEnroe with four titles at Queen’s club. Victory marked the first title for the former world number one in the 18 months since the Australian lifted the Sydney crown in January 2005.
Blake beat Hewitt in their last meeting, the final in Las Vegas in February. Hewitt now stands 7-1 in his career series against the American. Hewitt won his first three Queen’s trophies from 2000 to 2002.
Hewitt beat Tim Henman in a controversial semi-final yesterday, while Blake called his own semi-final win over Andy Roddick yesterday “the best grass court win of my career” and was looking for his third ATP Tour title win of the season.
RESULTS
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Lleyton Hewitt versus James Blake
FIRST SET
6-4
SECOND SET
6-4