Big-hearted Lleyton Hewitt is out of the US Open after losing a brutal third-round encounter with world No.5 David Ferrer.
For two magnificent sets, Hewitt threatened a boilover before the indefatigable Spaniard chiselled out a 7-6 (11-9) 4-6 6-3 6-0 victory in three hours and 12 minutes on Sunday.
Backing up from his epic four-hour, 35-minute second-round win over Gilles Muller, Hewitt was ultimately left to lament not converting any of five set points in the opening set.
Even in defeat, Hewitt’s performance was full of guts, determination and old-fashioned tennis know-how.
Ferrer, the man who stopped Rafael Nadal’s quest for a grand slam sweep at last year’s Australian Open, had to pull out all stops to deny the 31-year-old Australian wildcard.
Regarded as a human backboard, Ferrer is revered for never missing and getting every ball back.
But in a measure of the quality of tennis on display at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Ferrer committed 43 unforced errors trying to put Hewitt away.
Hewitt made 72 as the two court gladiators bludgeoned each other from the baseline.
At times, Ferrer’s scrambling was jaw-dropping.
The fourth seed’s prize is a fourth-round date on Tuesday with either French 13th seed Richard Gasquet or young American Steve Johnson.
Hewitt showcased all his remarkable fighting qualities in a classic opening set.
He fought off eight break points in the first five games alone, falling behind 3-1 and love-30 before holding to stay in the set.
He was rewarded with a break back the next game and then had Ferrer under further pressure serving at 0-30 and 15-30 in the 10th and 12 games.
Hewitt was desperately unlucky to lose the tiebreaker.
He had five set points, including three in a row at 6-3.
But apart from one tentative Hewitt backhand into the net, Ferrer saved them all with some ridiculous retrieving.
The Spaniard won the point of the match, delivering a running backhand crosscourt pass after Hewitt had him scrambling all over the place, to bring up set point and he clinched it when the Australian faltered with an attempted backhand drop shot.
A lesser player would have had enough.
Hewitt, though, shook off the disappointment of losing the 74-minute first set to immediately break Ferrer’s serve at the start of the second.
Hewitt dictated the rest of the set but, with Ferrer playing some amazing tennis, he was never truly safe until back on level terms after two exhausting hours.
A brief concentration lapse proved costly as Hewitt dropped his next service game from 30-0 up to give Ferrer a 3-0 advantage in the third – and that was all the world No.5 needed to take the set.
The writing was on the wall for a tiring Hewitt when he double-faulted to drop his opening service game again in the fourth set.
The contest was over when Ferrer grabbed a double break, then a triple for a 5-0 lead and he closed it out on his first match point.
