MASTERS CUP Hewitt defends title, finishes season No. 1

The Australian outlasted Juan Carlos Ferrero in five sets.
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Lleyton Hewitt was ready to take a break after defending his title at the Tennis Masters Cup and finishing the season No. 1 for the second straight year.
"Now I can put my feet up and go on holidays," Hewitt said after outlasting Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4 on Sunday.
The match was the latest in a number of marathonlike matches for him in the season-ending, eight-player tournament. Hewitt beat Albert Costa, Marat Safin and Roger Federer, while losing to Carlos Moya in the round-robin event.
"Every match this week was a grind," Hewitt said. "I didn't have one easy match."
But he did, and when his backhand lob cleared Ferrero at the net and landed a foot inside the baseline, the Australian fell onto his back, his arms raised toward the ceiling -- partly in celebration but also in exhaustion.
"There were times during the match when I was hurting and I was struggling," Hewitt said. "My legs just felt dead out there and I sort of put everything in to try to end up winning the first set. When I came back and won the second as well, I just had a bit of a letdown and just sort of hit the wall halfway through the third set.
"That never-say-die attitude helped out again today."
Disappointing
For Ferrero, it was a disappointing end. He served for the first set, only to lose six straight games. Then, he was twice up a break in the final set before Hewitt made his winning run.
"Right now, I don't feel very happy," Ferrero said. "But if I'm thinking in the year, I have to be happy. Right now, I finish the year really playing good tennis. So, seeing the whole year, I'm really happy."
Nerves and weariness showed in both players' games down the stretch as they sometimes missed badly, while at other times came up with brilliant winners.
In the final set, Ferrero hit an inside-out forehand wide to start the game. After hitting a service winner, he put up an easy lazy fly that Hewitt swatted home for a winner.
Finishing it off
Ferrero's backhand into the net gave Hewitt match point, but he promptly hit a forehand wide.
On the second match point, Ferrero drilled a ball deep into the court and followed it to the net. Hewitt, sensing his opponent was camped close and ready to volley a passing shot, responded with the winning lob.
Hewitt's victory matched that of his girlfriend, Kim Clijsters of Belgium.
A week ago, Clijsters stunned top-seeded Serena Williams to win the season-ending WTA Championships.
Besides earning $700,000 for the victory, Hewitt also won a Mercedes-Benz.
Earlier in the week, the Australian earned the year-ending No. 1 ranking for the second straight year and became the first player since Pete Sampras in 1997 to win consecutive season-ending championships.