David Ferrer, the U.S. Open’s fourth-ranked men’s player and somewhat out of the conversation when the favorites are discussed despite his top-five world ranking, topped former major champion Lleyton Hewitt on Sunday, 7-6 (11-9), 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the fourth round.
2012 U.S. Open Scores: David Ferrer Bests Lleyton Hewitt To Reach Fourth Round
Neither Ferrer nor Hewitt were especially efficient on Sunday, as both contributed more unforced errors than winners as the two traded swings from the baseline. Hewitt approached the net 40 times on the day, but only won 22 of 40 points when he did venture in.
In the end, it was Hewitt’s 72 unforced errors that doomed the Australian, as Ferrer was able to break Hewitt five times, including during the deciding fourth-set, which took just 30 minutes to complete.
Hewitt, who won the U.S. Open in 2001 and has made the semifinals four other times, could not hang with Ferrer after the Australian won the first set in a tiebreak. Ferrer, who appeared in the semifinals at the U.S. Open in 2007, will next face either No. 13 Richard Gasquet or unranked Steve Johnson in the fourth round.
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