Hewitt beats Safin to give Australia lead in final

Lleyton Hewitt beat Russia's Marat Safin 6-3 6-4 to give Australia a 1-0 lead in the final of the $2.1 million World Team Cup on Saturday.

Hewitt broke Safin early in the first set and in the seventh game of the second to down Safin, the U.S. Champion who is seeded second in the French Open beginning on Monday.

Hewitt, who is seeded sixth in Paris, played with great confidence and accuracy under the brilliant blue skies.

He set the tone firing two aces to open the match and had Safin dashing back and forth across the court trying to keep up with his whipped backhand returns.

Safin, who had looked sharp in beating American Pete Sampras and Argentina's Franco Squillari during the round-robin stages earlier in the week long tournament, grew frustrated at a series of unlucky net cords.

After losing the first set 6-3, Safin fought hard in the second, but repeatedly squandered chances to break Hewitt. Hewitt finally broke Safin in the seventh game of the second set, prompting the temperamental Russian to hit a ball out of the stadium into a nearby refreshment stand.

Australia's Pat Rafter was scheduled to play in the second singles match later on Saturday against Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov but dropped out because of inflammation in his right arm. He will be replaced by Scott Draper.

The two sides will also square off in a doubles match later on Saturday.