Clijsters, Pierce in US Open Final; Bryans Win Doubles; Mirza on Receiving End of Fatwa

"It was tough," Clijsters said of her difficulties in closing out the match. "I think I gave everything I had on those last points, but she just came up with better shots."

The Belgian was rolling the struggling Russian world icon 6-2, 6-5, 40-0 when Sharapova suddenly found her form, slapping winners to recover the game, forcing a tiebreak and stretching the match to three sets.

"I kind of gave it all I had in the tiebreaker and just basically ran out of gas in the third set," said Sharapova, who in the first set failed to hold serve in an uneven match that tested fan resolve to not maybe see what was on Mtv or the Weather Channel. "Physically, I have to get a lot better and play these three-setters where the points are going to go on and on. Today's match is a great example that it's physical."

In the final Clijsters will face Mary Pierce, who through a series of pony-tail tying, eye wiping, nail gazing, dragging service games and a 12-minute injury time-out frustrated last year's runner-up Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to gain her first career US Open final.

Pierce appeared to reinjure her thigh, which has been troubling her this summer, and was also treated for a back injury during back-to-back injury time-outs.

"It's pretty simple," said Pierce on persevering through the injuries. "Today after I lost the first set, I just kept thinking about a friend of mine back home, Pat, who is sick. She just gave me the power to play today."

Pierce is the first Frenchwoman to ever reach the US Open final.

After the long injury treatment Pierce came out firing while Dementieva, effectively iced and peeved at the extended downtime, struggled from then on with her ground game.

"You can change the game around by winning unbelievable point(s) or by changing the rhythm, I mean, it's the fair point," said a rattled Dementieva after the match. "But by taking like 12 minutes timeout -- I don't think it was a fair play. But she could do it by the rules. And she did it. If that's the only way she can beat me, I mean, it's up to her."

Pierce denied employing gamesmanship.

"Everybody gets injured," Pierce countered. "There are time-outs for certain reasons. Some players go to the bathroom. Some change their clothes. Elena went and changed her clothes after I won the second set, so it's part of the game."

The final on Saturday will be wide open.

Clijsters is 37-1 on hardcourts this year, and has beaten Pierce in both their career match-ups. But the final could see both players struggling to pry their hands off their throats: Clijsters is a dismal 0-4 in slam finals, while Pierce is 2-5, most recently putting in a jittery performance in this year's French Open finale blow-out at the hands of Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Bryan Brothers Win 1st US Open Title

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan ended a three-slam finals losing streak on Friday, winning their first US Open title with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win over world No. 1s Jonas Bjorkman and Max "The Beast" Mirnyi.

The first pair of brothers to win the US Open during the Open Era (since 1968), and the first dating to 1924, the Bryans were appearing in their fourth slam final of the year after runner-up efforts at the Australian Open, the French and Wimbledon. They are only the second doubles team to reach all four slam finals in the same year, joining Indian legends Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes.

"We almost completed the anti-slam," said Bob Bryan. "That would have been a feat. So win or lose, it was gonna be amazing."

With the win the brothers once again assume the top spot on the ATP team rankings, knocking out Bjorkman and Mirnyi in their hotly-contested run to the year-end No. 1 team ranking.

The Bryans are now 2-5 in slam finals, and have won four titles in 2005.

The win also elevated the Bryans head-to-head record against Bjorkman/Beast to 4-1, all coming this year.

In 2003 the Bryans lost in the US Open final to Bjorkman and now-retired partner Todd Woodbridge.

"We didn't want to go down as one of the only teams to lose all four slams," said Mike Bryan, who with Bob lost to Bjorkman/Beast in the French Open final earlier this year.

US Open Mens Semifinal Betting Lines

By Tennis-X Staff

(7) Andre Agassi vs. Robby Ginepri

It was only two days ago that Robby Ginepri, coming off the court after beating Guillermo Coria in his third consecutive five-setter, looked so slap-happy in his on-court post-match interview you wondered if he would make it to the locker room before collapsing onto the waiting IV-drip table. This in addition to Agassi winning all three of their career encounters, eight sets to none, doesn't bode too well for the young American who hasn't seen the late rounds of many tournament -- much less a grand slam. Agassi is also coming off a five-setter, but the veteran knows pacing. The stage will be big, and so will Agassi's game be for the occasion. Saturday will be Andre's day to line up another shot at the seemingly-impenetrable game of Roger Federer in the final. Bank on it.

(1) Roger Federer vs (3) Lleyton Hewitt

The good news for Lleyton Hewitt is he's beaten Roger Federer seven times in his career. The bad news is this was before Roger Federer became "World No. 1 Roger Federer" -- since the Swiss has risen to the top spot, Hewitt was lost their last eight meetings. During those encounters the Australian has never been at a lack for carbs, getting fed a bagel in four of the eight losses, most recently bageled in last year's US Open final where he swallowed two round ones in the 6-0, 7-6, 6-0 loss. If anything has changed in that span it's Feder-er getting better-er, while Hewitt seems to be mellowing with a hasty marriage and now impending fatherhood right around the corner. There's always the possibility of injury, but with the developments of late, if Federer were to injure his right wrist you could see him switching hands -- or maybe brandishing the racquet with his foot -- to finish the match. The odds will be terrible, but mortgaging the house or breaking into the kids' college fund to put down money on the Swiss will net you a small sum.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Is it true that CBS wanted Andre Agassi on as the second semifinal match today, but "The Boss" (as some of the old ATP employees coined the term for him) said no, since it could be difficult for him if he played second and the first match ran late? Now that's power...Mary Pierce will return to the Top 10 on Monday for the first time since 2001...From PTI: "Sania Mirza refused to be drawn into a controversy over her professional dress code and denied she faced any racial discrimination on the circuit. A religious scholar reportedly issued a "fatwa" about her dress code saying that Islam does not permit a woman to wear skirts, shorts and sleeveless tops. "Veil can be dropped on certain occasions but not the way the girl is going about and playing in all those countries," the scholar told a private news channel yesterday. The comments of the scholar were extensively aired by the private television channel that also sought the views of women's organisations on the subject, stirring a major controversy. Maintaining stoic silence on the issue, Sania, who comes from a devout Muslim family, passed the query off saying that she has nothing to say about it."...Mary Pierce is 6-0 in grand slam semifinals...26-year-old Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga has announced her retirement...The Bryan brothers said Andy Roddick partied for a few days in New York after his US Open loss then took the party (and a planeload of friends) to Las Vegas.