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Familiar foes ready for battle

There are great finals and then there are dream finals. And today’s match-up certainly falls into the latter category.
5 January 2014, by Darren Saligari

There are great finals and then there are dream finals. And today’s match-up certainly falls into the latter category. 

When Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer’s names were both still in the draw in the penultimate round of Brisbane International 2014, few dared to dream that the two former No.1s would meet on court on Sunday.

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But really, should we have doubted? If anyone is capable of pulling off an upset on home soil, it’s Hewitt. The Australian battled not only Nishikori but the Brisbane heat to give himself a shot at his first Brisbane title and 29th overall.

Federer, too, is looking for his first Brisbane International crown, which will take his personal tally to 78.

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Born six months apart, these two have known each other since their junior days. Both have tasted Grand Slam success – albeit Federer more frequently – and both have spent time at the top of the rankings.

Since they both turned pro in 1998 as fresh-faced 16-year-olds, the pair have clashed on court 26 times, with the Swiss Ace holding an 18-8 advantage.

In this time, their respect for each other has grown and this mutual admiration has been on display all week. 

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“You want to play against the best players, and obviously Roger and I have a good history and a lot of tough matches in the past in slams and Davis Cups and everything – I’m going to enjoy it,” said Hewitt when asked about the possibility of playing Federer in the final.

Earlier in the week the two even practised together, something that has become a more frequent occurrence in recent times. Although, according to Federer, it wasn’t always this way.

“Back in the day we didn’t practice much, even though we played the juniors together at times and doubles together at Wimbledon,” said Federer.

“But then we were such rivals I guess that we didn’t think that one or the other wanted to practice with each other.
So now at this stage of our careers we’re really happy, getting the best out [of] each other for practice and helping each other.” 

Time will tell whether Federer will rue helping Hewitt get the best out of himself this week but after growing up in parallel worlds, there’s little these two adversaries don’t know about each other.

Roger will look for Lleyton to bring his customary fight, while the Australian will expect the Swiss Maestro to weave his customary brilliance. Likewise, Federer will be wary of Hewitt’s return and defensive capabilities just as Hewitt will be prepared for the Federer serve. The top seed may not possess the biggest serve on the Tour but his placement is second to none.

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Their knowledge stems from a rivalry that may not have the profile of some others in the game, but definitely exists in the minds of both players.

“My rivalry with him was pretty intense,” Federer said in the lead-up to the final. “Never nasty or anything, but just good matches. We’re total opposite from one another the way we play. I play with the one-handed backhand; he plays his double-handed. His attitude on court is totally different to mine. I think that’s why it’s always an interesting match-up for both of us.”

The last time these two met in a final was in Halle in 2010 when Hewitt stunned Federer in three sets. It was a great win for Hewitt but he would love dearly to win one more title on home soil.

“You are retired a long time. I want to squeeze out everything I possibly can before then,” said Hewitt. 

And with his home crowd behind him, anything is possible.After all, dreams can come true – we have the final to prove it.

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