Agassi, Fish Sent Packing in Los Angeles

Tommy Haas earned a spot in the semifinals of the Mercedes-Benz Cup for the first time with an exciting three-set victory over top seed Andre Agassi. Haas saw two match points slip away in the second set before finally coming through 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-3, in 2 hours, 23 minutes against the three-time tournament champion Agassi.

“Every match is important out there,” said Agassi afterward. “It was a high quality match. I got off to a great start, hitting the ball well. He really played well to get back in the set and win it. He should have won the second, and I ended up winning it. It was one of those matches were neither one of us could quite close it out. He ultimately got it done in the end. It’s disappointing. But I got three matches in here, plus a tough one. That’s a step forward.”

Haas overcame a 5-1 first set deficit before clinching it in a tie-break, and the German twice served for the match in the second set at 5-4 and again at 6-5, only to see the American break straight back to force another tie-break. Haas then led 6-4 and double faulted on his first match point before The Boss put away a smash to save the second. The 34-yer-old Agassi eventually forced a third set with a backhand pass, much to the delight of the packed Stadium Court at the UCLA Tennis Center.

But Haas kept his nerve and kept on his game in the third set, breaking in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, and this time, the German served out the match to seal his place in his second semifinal of the year.

“Being down 1-5, I was just trying to hold my serve there and trying to feel a bit more comfortable with my strokes going into the second set,” Haas said. “Before I knew it was five-all, and my confidence level got back up by playing some pretty strong tennis. From then on it was a good match.”

Haas, who missed all of last year with a right shoulder injury, was pleased with his effort and the fact that he’s playing tennis again.

“This is what it’s all about right there,” said Haas, who is seeking his second title of year following Houston. “Playing in front of 7,500 people, in a night match against Andre Agassi, what else can you ask for as a professional tennis player. Being away for so long, this was worth all the rehab right there. There were points where I didn’t know if I was going to come back, and there were times that I didn’t really feel like doing rehab anymore because I was sick and tired of it. There are other beautiful things in life as well, but my passion and my love is tennis. It proved it again tonight.”

Added Agassi: “We’ve had some great matches. I was confident going out there. He stepped up his game in the third and I didn’t. Ultimately that made the difference. I haven’t had too many matches lately, and that probably cost me the first set and the third.”

Haas will now face Frenchman Cyril Saulnier, who edged out third-seeded American Mardy Fish. Serving 5-4, Saulnier seemed to be trying to choke in the second set failing to covert his first match point after missing an easy forehand. Fish broke for 5-5 and regained his momentum working his way to eight set point opportunities. But Fish couldn’t convert and it was Saulnier closing the match out in another tiebreaker, 7-6(6), 7-6(7), and advance to his second consecutive ATP semifinal after Newport last week.

“It’s frustrating, but this is the first tournament back on hardcourts after Wimbledon,” the Fish said. “Normally I get off to a slow start. I’m happy to get a few matches under my belt heading into some of the bigger tournaments, especially the Super 9 and the US Open, and the Olympics.”

Also advancing was Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer, who ended Greg Rusedski’s seven-match winning streak with an impressive 6-1, 6-4 victory. Kiefer, a finalist earlier this year in Memphis and Scottsdale, broke the Briton’s formidable serve twice in the opening set and at 4-4 in the second before sealing victory in exactly an hour with his sixth ace of the match. In the semifinals, Kiefer will meet American wildcard Jeff Morrison. The “Battleship” Morrison advanced to his first ATP semifinal with a 6-3, 6-4, victory over South Africa’s Wesley Moodie “Blues”.

With Fish and Agassi, the last two remaining seeds, ousted, the tournament has no seeds in the final four for the first time since 1973.

In the doubles semifinals today its (WC) Lee/Phillips vs (2) Arthurs/Hanley and (1) Bryan/Bryan vs (3) Erlich/Ram.