Houston Wrap-up

It was a rain-soaked week at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston, Texas, where for the second straight year rain dominated the headlines on the Championship weekend.

Unfortunately, it was not only the rain, but also a resurgent Lleyton Hewitt who rained on Andy’s parade.

The first of two semifinals, Andy took on No. 3 Hewitt, for a spot in the coveted final which takes place today. It was uncertain whether play would get underway with heavy morning rain, but the skies cleared enough to allow the completion of both semifinals.

Shortly after 1 pm local time, after a morning hitting session, Andy took to the court before thousands of fans, hoping to better his semifinal appearance from last year. Hewitt, who won the title in both 2001 and 2002, also sought to return to the finals.

However, only one man could earn the coveted spot. Despite Andy’s efforts, Hewitt just seemed to be on his game, executing his shots well and securing one break of serve in the first set and two in the second to take the match 6-3, 6-2. Andy had yet to drop a set before this match, a record held by only one other player, Roger Federer.

Later in a press conference, Andy seemed to take the loss in stride, stating that he was going to look at the bright side of the situation and take away a lot of positives from the experience.

He next looks towards the Davis Cup and will begin preparations with the rest of the team this week. Andy believes that having won some competitive matches this week will greatly help in this effort.

Overall, it was a good week in Houston. Andy won all three of his round robin matches (bettering his record from last year) and reached the semifinals for the second consecutive year. He also gained some valuable Race points that will help his bid to retain the year-end No. 2 ranking. But best of all perhaps, was spending time with friends and family. Andy’s parents, Blanche and Jerry, along with his brother Lawrence were on hand for his match on Saturday, along with Ellie Gonzalez, a long-time family friend who made the trip from San Antonio to watch Andy just as she did for the US Clay Court Championships earlier this year. Ms. Gonzalez used to be little Andy’s hitting partner when he was younger. Andy also found time to play with niece and nephew in between matches, something he truly enjoys.

Next stop: Seville, Spain. Good luck Team USA!