WASHINGTON (Ticker) - Lleyton Hewitt of Australia had some problems holding onto his serve in the second set in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic final. Gilles Muller of Luxembourg had even more.
Hewitt, the second seed, broke Muller three times in the second set and five times overall en route to a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in the $500,000 hardcourt event.
The 23-year-old Hewitt, who won $69,200 and his third title in 2004, had his serve broken twice in the second set but broke the 21-year-old Muller in the fourth, eighth and 10th games, taking the championship when Muller hit a weak dropshot into the net.
Hewitt - the first Aussie to win in Washington since Tony Roche in 1972 - was playing in his second final in three weeks. He
lost in Cincinnati to Andre Agassi, the top seed here who was upset by Muller on Saturday night.
Muller, who was facing Hewitt for the first time, was playing in his first final in only his sixth ATP tournament. He was the first player from Luxembourg to advance to a final on tour.