Lleyton Hewitt emerged from a five-set marathon to win the Masters Cup final against Juan Carlos Ferrero today to put a fitting stamp on another glorious season.
The world number one took his second successive Masters Cup title after summoning his last reserves of energy and intensity to outlast Ferrero 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, 2-6, 6-4 in three hours and 52 minutes at Shanghai's New International Expo Centre.
Hewitt, who said he had pushed through the "pain barrier" numerous times throughout the season-ending event, looked to have finally run out of fuel after surrendering a two-set lead and allowing Ferrero to level the match.
The Spanish baseliner then took a 3-1 lead in the fifth set, as the young Australian stopped chasing wide balls he would have been able to run down earlier in the match.
However with the title on the line and his body aching, Hewitt dug deep one last time.
He picked up his fading first serve and got his feet, recognised as the quickest on tour, working again to motor through five of the last six games and claim the title on his second match point with a delicate backhand lob.
"This is fantastic," Hewitt, 21, said afterwards as he reflected on the victory and his official crowning this week as the number one player in the world for the second year in a row.
"It's been another special week not only for my tennis career but in my life in general."
The victory typified Hewitt's year, in which he has battled illness, fatigue and a pack of hungry players chasing his number one ranking - and always come out on top.
Hewitt won five titles this year, including the Masters Cup and Wimbledon. He won 61 matches, more than any other player on tour, and lost just 15.
Hewitt picked up $1.4million for winning the tournament, bringing his prize money earnings for the year to $3.75million and his career total to a staggering 10 million dollars.
Ferrero, Spain's top player, won $700,000 and climbed to a career-high ranking of number four by making the Masters Cup final.
Hewitt's Masters Cup victory meant he became the first player since Pete Sampras in 1996 and 1997 to successfully defend the season-ending championships, which is open to only the top eight players in the world.
Aged 20, he became the youngest player to win the tournament last year in front of his home fans in Sydney.
AFP