Andre Agassi outlasted fellow American Jan-Michael Gambill 7-6 (4), 7-5 Friday in a sensational quarterfinals slugfest at the Siebel Open.
Both players held serve until Agassi broke in the final game of the match. The 33-year-old Agassi, seeded second and a five-time winner here, has beaten fellow American Gambill eight straight times dating to Scottsdale in 1999, when Agassi retired in the first set of their semifinal match with a right hamstring strain.
PHOTO: AP
Gambill kept the world's No. 3 player off balance with his powerful serve-and-volley game, which led to many quick points on his serve. But Gambill had to go to deuce nine times to win his first three service games, including five deuces in the opening game of the match. The game lasted 16 minutes.
Agassi, who beat Gambill in the 2001 semifinals of this tournament, advances to the second semifinal Saturday against countryman Mardy Fish, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik in the late match Friday. The early semi is between top-seeded Andy Roddick and wild-card entry Robert Kendrick.
This is the first all-American semifinal since 1995 -- featuring Agassi, MaliVai Washington, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.
Gambill pounded 20 aces to Agassi's 11, and hit 45 winners. Gambill converted 21 of his 27 chances at the net, but missed all five first serves in the tiebreaker. serves in the tiebreaker.
"I was intense," Gambill said. "I got in a groove where I didn't care what the score was and couldn't care less who was on the other side of the court. Unfortunately, I missed five serves in a row in the tiebreaker. That's the worst. I wasn't more nervous or antsy. I just missed them."
Roddick beat Johansson 6-3, 7-6 (7) earlier Friday, pounding 27 aces to 14 for the Swede in the first meeting between the two 21-year-old big servers.
"It works," Roddick said of his serve. "I've been feeling good rhythm. I'm getting the kind of action I want."
After breezing through the first set in 25 minutes, Roddick had to battle to win the second. He jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker but couldn't hold it as he was forced to chase down hard groundstrokes in the corners. Roddick, ranked third in the world, improved to 10-2 this year.
Roddick and Johansson were doubles partners as juniors for the French Open, where they reached the finals in 2000.
Kendrick tossed his white wrist band one way and pounded a tennis ball into the upper decks in the other direction after his hard-fought 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3 win over Frenchman Cyril Saulnier. The 24-year-old Kendrick had reason to celebrate, making the semifinal of an ATP tournament for just the second time in his career.
"It was long, hopefully not boring," Kendrick said. "I'm very happy. It's another good week."
Kendrick pulled off the first upset of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 second-round win Wednesday over 23rd-ranked Taylor Dent of the US, the tournament's fourth-seeded player. Kendrick beat 75th-ranked Lars Burgsmuller of Germany in straight sets in the first round.
Kendrick hit 11 aces and won 85 percent of his first-serve points in the 2-hour, 1-minute match. Saulnier, ranked 73rd, made 33 unforced errors to 56 by Kendrick. Both players held serve through the first set. They slugged away from the baseline in long rallies, with Kendrick hustling down balls in the corners.
Milan Indoors
Defending champion Martin Verkerk and third-seeded Tommy Robredo were eliminated in the Milan Indoors quarterfinals on Friday, leaving no seeded players in the tournament.
Second-seeded Verkerk was knocked out by Gregory Carraz of France 6-3, 7-6 (3), while Robredo was surprised by rising Croatian star Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4.
Ancic, considered the Croatian heir of 2002 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic -- who lost to Rebredo in the second round -- gave a spectacular display of volleys, passing shots and aces to reach his first career ATP semifinals.
Carraz ended Verkerk's seven-match unbeaten streak at the Palalido Sports Palace, setting up an all-French semifinal against Anthony Dupuis, who survived two match points to defeat Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5).
Dupuis clinched his second ATP semifinal spot since 2002 after Youzhny squandered two match points at 6-5 in the second set.
Ancic will take on 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, who beat Slovak Karol Kucera 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) in an early quarterfinal, and achieved his best result since a knee operation a year ago and missing all of the 2003 season.
Verkerk was hampered by a sore right thigh against Carraz, and received medical treatment between sets.
Carraz broke the Dutchman in the seventh and ninth games to take the first set with ease.
In the second-set tiebreak, Carraz served well and took advantage of a double fault by Verkerk for 6-3. He won the set and match on an unforced error by the defending champ.
"I took advantage of the few chances I had to break him," said Carraz, world ranked 63rd. "My good returns made the difference in the tiebreak."
He fired 17 aces to Verkerk's 19.
Carraz, who came out of the juniors two years ago, said he had improved his play since he hired a personal trainer.
Ivanisevic, who made his comeback here after an eight-month injury layoff, had predicted Ancic would beat Robredo, and his countryman broke once in the first set and twice in the second. Ancic only lost his serve in the eighth game of the second set when he netted two volleys at 5-2, but he ended Robredo's comeback quickly.
Johansson needed 2 1/2 hours and some of his best shots to overcome unseeded Kucera.
"I played my top today. I could not have played any better, and I'm very satisfied with my play from the baseline," Johansson said.
"Karol was running down every ball and I had to hit harder and harder."
Johansson failed to capitalize on five break points in the first set and three in the second, and was stretched to tiebreakers in both sets. He won both 7-2, relying on his serve, deep forehand shots and unforced errors by Kucera. It was his first win over Kucera in four matchups.
Johansson reached the quarterfinals in his first comeback tournament at Adelaide, Australia in January, and his progress has made him try to earn a spot on Sweden's Davis Cup team for the World Group quarterfinal against the US in April.
"I'm less than certain to play as the Swedish guys in the team are playing very well," he said.
Without Johansson, Sweden stunned defending champion Australia in the first round last weekend.
Johansson said he planned to use his injury-protected high ATP ranking to play in Indian Wells and Key Biscayne in the US, and possibly get a wild card in Dubai. The protected ranking guarantees him entry in eight major tournament in 2004, and Johansson said he was trying to get as many wild cards as possible.
He said his rehabilitated left knee has proved strong.
"Some days my knee was really bad and in some moments I thought I could quit. Now I'm hungry to come back," he said.
Gaz de France
Top-seeded Kim Clijsters narrowly escaped defeat as she qualified for the semifinals of the Gaz de France on Friday, beating Italy's Silvia Farina Elia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Farina Elia served for victory at 6-3, 5-3 but then managed to win only three points in the next four games as Clijsters came back to win the second set.
After playing erratically early in the match, Clijsters refound her game midway through. In the final set, the Belgian made the decisive break to lead 4-3, and a disconsolate Farina Elia then lost serve again for the match.
"I really made a whole pile of errors today," Clijsters said.
Clijsters came into the tournament after losing the Australian Open final to countrywoman Justine Henin-Hardenne. In Melbourne, Clijsters sustained an injury to her left foot which hampered her.
"But today I moved fine," Clijsters said.
Clijsters faces a semifinal against Russia's Dinara Safina, who beat No. 5 Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
"I'm very happy to make my first semi in this big a tournament, " Safina said.
She has not taken any short cuts. The 17-year-old Russian has now won six matches this week _ three qualifying rounds and three main-draw encounters.
Italy's Schiavone was Safina's second victory over a seeded player. The Russian eliminated No. 3 Patty Schnyder, an Australian Open semifinalist, in the second round.
Like elder brother Marat, Safina is an expressive player, shouting, punching the air, bouncing a recalcitrant racket.
"Marat say I throw a racket just like him," Safina said. "He says he's happy I've learned something from him!"
Mary Pierce was poised and consistent as she won her quarterfinal over Russia's Elena Bovina 6-3, 6-4. The Frenchwoman, back from a three-month break from competition, now meets French teen Tatiana Golovin, a wild card.
Their duel opposes a former French star who has slipped to 37 in the rankings and the current hope of French women's tennis.
"It'll be tough but it's great for the crowd," Golovin said.
Golovin got a walkover into the quarters after Slovakia's Daniele Hantuchova pulled out sick.
Friday, Golovin coolly disposed of No. 2 Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4 to reach her first WTA circuit semifinal.
Athletic and composed, Golovin is a surprisingly mature 16, with stamina and on-court savvy.
She was the revelation of the Australian Open where she reached the fourth round, improving her ranking from 354 to 136 in Melbourne.
Her semifinal berth here will carry her into the top 100 for the first time.
BellSouth Open
Three-time Grand Slam champion Gustavo Kuerten beat Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (4) on Friday to set up a BellSouth Open semifinal against defending champion David Sanchez.
Kuerten, seeded second, blew a 5-0 lead in the final set, as Volandri broke the Brazilian's serve twice and forced the tiebreaker.
Sanchez ousted fourth-seeded Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in their quarterfinal for the Spaniard's first win in five career meetings.
Gaudio said the clay surface at the Las Salinas club in this resort city near Santiago "was not perfect, but that's no excuse for my loss."
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