Commack, NY (My Sportsbook) - Second-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt appears ready for the U.S. Open as he posted a straight-set win over Peruvian Luis Horna on Sunday to capture the title at the $380,000 TD Waterhouse Cup.
Hewitt defeated the ninth-seeded Horna 6-3, 6-1 on the hardcourts at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club in a match that lasted just under 1 1/2 hours. The win was Hewitt's 10th consecutive match victory as well as his second straight tournament win.
"I just tried to play my game and I'm happy to take home the title," said Hewitt.
The 23-year-old Hewitt, who also won his fourth ATP Tour singles title of the year, defeated little-known Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in last Sunday's title match in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he was a finalist at the Tennis Masters Series in Cincinnati where he lost to American Andre Agassi.
The former world No. 1 Hewitt claimed his 23rd career singles crown and pocketed $52,000 for this win.
Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, will head to the upcoming U.S. Open as the winner of the inaugural U.S. Open Series. Hewitt, who won in Flushing Meadows back in 2001, will earn a 50 percent bonus for winning the series points title on top of whatever he makes in the singles competition.
The U.S. champion receives $1 million, which could be worth $1.5 million should Hewitt capture it for a second time.
The feisty Hewitt, who is seeded fourth at the U.S. Open, is one of the favorites to win the championship along with world No. 1 Roger Federer, defending champion Andy Roddick and the two-time winner Agassi.
Hewitt will begin the 2004 fortnight with a matchup with veteran South African Wayne Ferreira.
"There's not going to be too many easy matches next week and I'm just going to take it one match at a time," said Hewitt. "It is an incredible feeling (to win the U.S. Open), but its not an easy thing. You have to win seven best-of- five matches."
The 23-year-old Horna, who had defeated two-time defending champion Paradorn Srichaphan in Saturday's semifinals, was trying to win his first-ever ATP Tour singles title.
Horna will meet 23rd-seeded American Vince Spadea in the first round of tennis' final major.
