Hewitt humbled by Moya

Hewitt just could not find the answers on this day

Carlos Moya raised his game to beat world number one Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets and take the Cincinnati Masters title.

In a rain-delayed match, Moya overpowered his younger opponent 7-5 7-6.

I knew my hardcourt game was not bad, but I didn't expect to win this tournament

Carlos Moya

The victory was only the second hard court title for 25-year-old Moya - and his first on the surface in a Masters Series event.

It was the first final Hewitt has lost since the Masters Series in Stuttgart in November 2000, when he was runner-up to Wayne Ferreira.

For Spaniard Moya, this was his fourth title this year, making it 11 in his career, although few can have been as satisfying as this one.

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Like all the men who had fallen before Moya during the tournament, Hewitt failed to take a set off the new champion, although he had his chances during the match.

The Australian took an early 3-1 lead before being broken himself.

Rain stopped play with the match poised at 4-4 in the opening set.

More than two hours elapsed before the players returned - and it was Hewitt who buckled, his serve punished by the sheer power of Moya's forehand.

He was too good for me

Lleyton Hewitt

Hewitt seemed to determined to make amends for his capitulation in the first set as he raced into a 5-2 lead in the second.

But he suffered consecutive breaks on his own serve as Moya sprayed backhand and forehand winners around the court.

In an edgy tiebreaker, the pair exchange mini breaks three times before a Hewitt double fault gave Moya a match point, which he took with a booming serve.

Moya, who has won 20 of his last 22 matches, earned $392,000 for his victory.

Hewitt urged to call media truce

Hewitt's runners-up cheque of $206,000 may be halved as a result of a bust-up with the ATP earlier in the week over his refusal to do a TV interview.