Thu, Apr 01, 2004 page19

• Agassi fades from Nasdaq

  PROFESSIONAL TENNIS Twentieth-seeded Agustin Calleri of Argentina upset the American despite poor serving. Serena Williams demolished Jill Craybas

  • AP
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  Andre Agassi's reign on Key Biscayne ended Tuesday when he lost to Agustin Calleri of Argentina 6-2, 7-6 (2) in the fourth round of the Nasdaq-100 Open.

  Agassi had won three consecutive titles and 19 straight matches in the tournament. He was bidding for his seventh title in the event and his 800th match victory.

  The 20th-seeded Calleri served poorly but dominated from the baseline, repeatedly skipping shots off the line. He hit 47 winners, many on backhands into the corner that Agassi didn't even try to chase.

  

  Serena Williams drives a forehand back to Jill Craybas during the fourth round of Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami, Florida, Tuesday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  "He was just playing too good for a long stretch of time out there," the fourth-seeded Agassi said.

  In other men's play, second-seeded American Andy Roddick reached the quarterfinals for just the second time. He lost only 10 points on his serve and needed barely an hour to eliminate unseeded Guillermo Canas of Argentina 6-3, 6-3.

  Roddick's opponent Thursday will be fifth-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain, who beat No. 19 countryman Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-3.

  

  Andre Agassi battles Agustin Calleri at the Nasdaq-100 Open on Key Biscayne, Florida, Tuesday. Agassi lost 6-2 7-6.

  PHOTO: REUTERS

  Spanish 17-year-old Rafael Nadal was unable to summon the shotmaking that helped him upset top-ranked Roger Federer in the third round. Nadal lost to No. 21-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-2.

  On the women's side, top-seeded Serena Williams of the US won the tournament's most lopsided quarterfinal since 1996, beating countrywoman Jill Craybas 6-0, 6-1.

  Williams' opponent in the semifinals Thursday will be 25th-seeded Eleni Daniilidou of Greece, who beat Karolina Sprem of Croatia 6-1, 6-3.

  Agassi rallied from a break down twice in the second set, took a 5-4 lead and held five set points in the next game. Each time he had a look at a second serve but failed to convert

  "I had some chances there," Agassi said. "The ball was sort of sitting there, and it was probably an easier shot than I was making it. But you're telling yourself not to do anything too stupid."

  Agassi finished 2-for-10 on break points.

  Calleri saved some of his best shotmaking for the tiebreaker. He dropped one last forehand on the baseline to reach match point, and when Agassi double-faulted, Calleri sank to his knees in jubilation.

  The Argentine dominated from the start. He broke in the opening game, raced to a 4-1 lead and won the first set in just 33 minutes.

  Williams, who returned from an eight-month layoff last week, won the first 10 games and needed just 55 minutes to advance to the women's semifinals.

  The Williams sisters remain on course to resume their sibling rivalry in the final Saturday. Venus Williams faces No. 5 Elena Dementieva of Russia in the quarterfinals today.

  Craybas, the lone unseeded women's quarterfinalist, drew a big cheer when she finally won a game. The former US college champion's breakthrough came on an errant backhand by Williams, who shrieked in reaction to the rare mistake.

  Williams smacked five aces and 22 winners. She has won 16 consecutive matches at Key Biscayne, including the finals in 2002 and 2003.

  The tournament is Williams' first since knee surgery after winning her sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in July.

  Also on the men's side, No. 3-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina won the final five games to overtake French qualifier Julien Benneteau 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-5, and Nicolas Kiefer of Germany eliminated No. 12 Sebastien Grosjean of France 6-4, 6-2.

  Coria was on the brink of elimination against Benneteau, who beat 16th-seeded Mardy Fish in the first round, and was the only qualifier to reach the fourth in a career-best effort.

  Benneteau was thwarted from serving for the match at 5-3, broken again at 5-5, and missed a break point in the last game.

  Coria also reached the quarterfinals at this month's Pacific Life Open. He's 15-4 on the year.

  In a matchup of two unseeded players, Andrei Pavel of Romania followed his upset of Lleyton Hewitt by topping American veteran Todd Martin 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1). Martin committed 40 unforced errors in the course of the match.
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