Federer and Agassi to meet in final
Andre Agassi’s magical run continued at the US Open but he will need to pull out every trick to beat defending champion Roger Federer in the final.
The 35-year-old Agassi became the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 31 years with his third straight five-set victory, a 6-4 5-7 6-3 4-6 6-3 triumph over fellow American Robby Ginepri at the National Tennis Center.
Later on the top-seeded Federer beat number three Lleyton Hewitt for a ninth straight meeting, 6-3 7-6 (7-0) 4-6 6-3 for his record-tying 34th consecutive hardcourt victory.
Federer, who saved five set points in the second set, has won a record 22 straight finals and never has lost a Grand Slam final in five tries.
The world’s top-ranked player has not lost on a hard court since blowing a match point to eventual champion Marat Safin of Russia in the Australian Open semi-finals, has not lost in 24 matches overall since a defeat to eventual champion Rafael Nadal of Spain in the French Open semi-finals and has not lost in his last seven encounters with Agassi.
Federer broke Hewitt in the fourth game en route to taking the opening set in 34 minutes.
Twice in the second set, after the first and seventh games, Federer went up a break before Hewitt immediately returned the favour.
The defending champion saved three set points in the 10th game and two more in the 12th to force a tiebreaker.
Federer earned a mini-break on the first point when Hewitt hit a forehand long.
The Swiss star followed with an ace and a backhand winner, saw the Aussie hit another forehand long, then hit a backhand winner and a forehand winner before Hewitt netted a forehand approach shot to get shut out.
Hewitt saved five break points in his first two service games of the third set, then broke Federer in the seventh game.
His forehand winner to end the 10th game snapped a streak of 17 straight sets lost to Federer.
Federer blew a pair of break points in the second game but broke the Aussie at love in the sixth, then served out to set up a marquee final with Agassi,
Earlier the American crowd favourite became the oldest Grand Slam finalist since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall unsuccessfully took on Jimmy Connors at the 1974 US Open with his third straight five-set victory.
“How do you find words for what this means?” Agassi said. “This has been some of the greatest memories I’ve ever had on a tennis court. I’ll have these memories with me the rest of my life.
“I mean, to be in the finals at age 35 just means you’re going to have to put up with me a lot longer.”
The 1994 and 1999 US Open champion and a three-time runner-up, Agassi opened the match by breaking Ginepri, but the 22-year-old returned the favour five games later.
The veteran broke Ginepri – who was playing in his first Grand Slam semi-final - again in the ninth game and held to take the first set in 33 minutes.
Ginepri and Agassi exchanged breaks in the fourth and fifth games of the second set, but Agassi saved seven break points in the sixth game to pull even at 3-3.
Although he had a right to be discouraged, Ginepri saved a break point in the next game and broke Agassi in the 12th to take the set and even the match.
Agassi broke his opponent in the third game of the third set, which he claimed with another break in the ninth game when Ginepri pushed a forehand wide.
Ginepri claimed a 4-3 lead in the fourth set with a break and held thereafter to force a decisive set.
In the fifth set, both players held until the sixth game, which Agassi snatched with a backhand drop-shot winner.
He held at love for a 5-2 lead, and after Ginepri held, Agassi closed out the match at love with an ace.
“I felt decent out there in the fifth,” Agassi said. “I mean, there was nothing to speak of that was of any concern. I stepped up when I needed to. The fifth set was the best set of tennis the whole match, so that’s also a good sign.”
“I thought we were pretty even throughout the whole match,” Ginepri said.
“Bounced back form a set down each time. But he was too good in the fifth.”
Agassi improved to 3-0 here and 4-0 lifetime against Ginepri, who was playing his fourth consecutive five-set match.
No player in the Open era previously had played four five-set matches at the US Open.
“I feel pretty good now,” said Agassi, whose request to play the first semi-final was granted.
“I mean, 24 hours is not a lot of time (to recover). It’s not an ideal situation, to play three five-setters going into the finals, especially here. This is one of the reasons why this is the most difficult tournament to win.
“But it’s a great problem to have. Listen, I’d sign up for that any day, to have a chance in the finals, regardless of today, but it’s not ideal.”
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