Hewitt, Thai Fighter On Course for ATP Long Island Final

Both former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt (d. (5)Chela 6-1 in the third) and two-time Long Island defending champion Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan (d. (7)Joachim "The Jackhammer" Johansson in three) muscled through to the semifinals Friday at the ATP stop in Long Island, one match away from a blockbuster lead-up to Monday's start to the US Open.

"To play here and win two matches in a row gives me a lot of confidence and playing the quarterfinal match
against the guy I lost to in the Olympics is not easy," said The Thai Fighter after taking out the large-serving Jackhammer. "It's hard to get into a rhythm against a guy with such a big serve. It's hard to get a rally going. Building from here I have a lot of confidence. I'm expecting to go into the US Open expecting to do well." Time to bust out the red shirt.

Hewitt turned things around after losing the first set tiebreak, storming back to clinch the win one and one.

"I started playing well about half way through the first set, but it didn't show on the scoreboard," Hewitt said. "I tried to put pressure on him in the second set and it worked. This is the best I have hit the ball this week."

Also into the semis were (9)Luis "Me So" Horna (d. Davydenko in three), and unseeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov (d. (10)Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer in three). That's four-for-four three setters, no refunds Friday at Strong Island.

Saturday's semis line up is Tursunov (13-15 in 2004, first ATP SF) vs. (2)Hewitt in a first-time meeting, and (9)Me So vs. (4)Thai Fighter in another first-timer.