DPA/IANS

Tokyo, Oct 10: Mikhail Youzhny earned his first career victory over Lleyton Hewitt Saturday, firing 10 aces for a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 win that denied the 2001 champion Australian another place in the final of the Japan Open.

Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam winner and former number one, came to the court never having lost in three previous appearances to Youzhny.

The pair first played in 2002, with Hewitt having won seven of their previous eight sets.

Number 49 Youzhny is to bid for his second trophy of the season after Munich on clay when he faces one of two Frenchmen, second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or number four Gael Monfils.

Oddly enough, the pair of good friends and practise partners have only met once on the ATP with Tsonga winning a year ago in a Bangkok semi-final.

Hewitt, 28, is using this autumn as a rebuilding period after sitting out a year ago as he recovered from hip surgery.

The Australian is keying up for his home open in January, where he has always longed for a title.

The number 26, who started the season outside the top 100, has no computer points to defend until January and is working for a top 16 seeding at the major.

The winner of 27 trophies has said that with his comeback going so well, he is keen to stretch his career.

"I had to make the tough decision to have the surgery done," he said. "I didn't have to have it done if I didn't want to keep playing professional tennis.

"I could have gone on being fine in everyday life and got around the golf course fine."

But Youzhny showed the eighth seed the door in their battle lasting around two and a half hours.

The Russian broke Hewitt three times while losing his own serve once. Hewitt made a match of it with a fighting comeback to take the struggle into a third set.