Roland Garros 2009: "David" Lleyton Hewitt Topples "Golaith" Karlovic In a Fiver

Wow! What a thriller, though it turned kind of anti-climactic in the end.  Anti-climactic because, I was half expecting the match to extend, till perhaps a 14-12 or a 12-10 in the ultimate fifth.

So much for me and my wild expectations!

But then I am not disappointed, for climactic or anti-climactic; the player who I rooted for ultimately won! Phew...it was a relief to see Hewitt win given the way Dr. Ivo was playing.

55 aces...55! Bloody Hell!

Ivo shouldn't be a tennis player, No...No...he scares the hell out of everyone, not to mention the feeling of boredom one gets while watching the "Rally-Lustre-Less" points and games.

It's an altogether different thing following it in the "Best-of-Three-Set" ATP events, but at the slams it's a freaking nightmare watching and probably anticipating [in heart-of-hearts] that this match could vie for the "Maximum Tie-Breaker Show" award.

And today's match, had Lleyton Hewitt not intervened in the nick of time, could have very well gone in that direction.

Thinking about the match now, I am wondering whether Hewitt has rubbed the Slam organisers the wrong way? If it's not a personal vendetta, then why do they keep pitting him against opponents who are hell bent on giving him headaches?

First Gonzo at Oz this year and now Ivo at Roland Garros!

But seriously, Hewitt should be very happy with his performance today; at least his fans were with the way he turned on the game like a faucet recently fixed by an expert plumber to his advantage in the later stages.

The first two sets however, were a disaster to say the least. No break of serve, typical Ivo "ace-ing" his way around and Hewitt playing as if he was bored to be here, of all places!

On second thoughts, though after watching his performance in the next three sets, it looks as if he was just gauging his opponent and testing him, perhaps his mind working overtime as to, which part of Ivo's game, he could attack successfully.

And then at the opportune moment, he attacked like an eagle zooming on an unsuspecting hare in the third set tie-break winning it with two set points convincingly at 7-4. 

That marked the beginning of the fall of 6'10 "Golaith" and the confidence boost that "David" deperately needed!

Thus, from the fourth set onwards where Karlovic was losing his sheen, Hewitt was gaining momentum and confidence with every pass and winner; Karlovic started banking on more and more on his serve, while Hewitt attacked and defended from almost every part of the court!

Karlovic: at his wit's end; Hewitt: yelling on the opposite side with pumped exhilaration of a "gift given" mollified kid- it was a sight to behold and the match, which was acting like a turn-off to most tennis aficionados, became interesting at the bat of an eyelid.

And, with two sets apiece, the action boiled down to the ultimate deciding fifth. Hewitt's record in a "Fifth Set Extended" match was in his favour 23-13; Karlovic, on the other hand had no such advantage and with his record standing at 0-10, the pendulum was statistically swinging in Hewitt's favour.

Hewitt in his turn, wasted no time and promptly broke Ivo in the third game of the fifth set. The whoop that he gave after winning it was like an involuntary shudder passing through and contagious at the same time.

And finally, after an "on-and- off inspiration"  inspiring, agonisingly patient three hours and 56 minutes later, wrapped it up in the eighth game of the deciding set, when Karlovic hit a gunning shot from the far side of the court which ended up as an unforced error, giving him his deserved victory!

Now standing on the former World No. 1's way next is Kazakh youngster Andrei Golubev who after completing a whitewash of German Gremelmeyer in an easy straighter, looks a difficult opponent at the moment to a comparatively tired Hewitt.