Former No. 1-ranked Lleyton Hewitt turned back to the clock with a gritty 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win over second-seeded Kei Nishikori on Saturday to advance to the Brisbane International final and a possible showdown with Roger Federer. The 32-year-old Hewitt handled the heat better than his Japanese opponent as the temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), reaching his first final on home soil since losing the 2005 Australian Open decider to Marat Safin. Top-seeded Federer was playing eighth-seeded Jeremy Chardy in a later semifinal. Despite giving up eight years to Nishikori, Hewitt scrambled in his trademark way and overcame some setbacks.
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