Hewitt shows swagger as pressure rises

Lleyton Hewitt took another faltering step towards ending the year as world No1 yesterday, beating Albert Costa 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in his first round-robin match at the Masters Cup. The performance, like Hewitt himself, was a little rough around the edges but full of heart and driven by an iron will.

Ever since winning Wimbledon Hewitt has struggled with tired limbs and various viral ailments but he has hung on grimly in matches he should have lost and kept a fingertip hold on the No1 position. It was much the same against Costa.

The Masters Cup draw is divided into red and gold groups, yet the real division is between those, like Hewitt and Andre Agassi, who are here by what seems like divine right, and those who gave their all to get here and are nowtrying to look as if they belong.

Despite winning the French Open in May, Costa is unmistakeably part of the underclass here and, though Hewitt played poorly at times, he has the swagger of a champion even on his off-days. He has proved time and again that the higher the stakes, the more he feels at home.

Having skipped through the first set, he was miffed at losing the second and having to dig further into his precious reserves of energy. But it was little more than a mild irritation and a few minutes later he was a break up and pumping his fist with customary vigour, giving the 8,500-strong crowd what they had paid for.

Hewitt's 88-point lead over Agassi in the race to be No1 meant he could lose to Costa and still be comfortably ahead of the American.

Agassi takes on Jiri Novak this morning in his first round- robin match. Unless Hewitt loses his next two matches, against Carlos Moya today and Marat Safin later this week, Agassi will have to win the tournament to overtake the Australian.

It was a good day for Hewitt as his girlfriend Kim Clijsters beat the world No1 Serena Williams 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the WTA Championships in Los Angeles.

· Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has announced her retirement after a 17-year career. The 30-year-old Spaniard won the French Open title three times and the US Open once.