Fighting through

Haas gets by Rios in tight four-setter, moves into semis

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -- Seventh seed Tommy Haas battered his way past the mercurial Marcelo Rios and into the semifinals of the Australian Open 7-6, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 on Wednesday.

Former world number one Rios, a runner-up at Melbourne Park in 1998, could not handle the power of the German's lethal serve or backhand.

"My serve was the key I think...whenever he had some chances to break me my serve saved me," Haas said.

Haas, a losing semifinalist here in 1999, powered through the night match in three hours 17 minutes to set up a semifinal with Marat Safin.

Safin, seeded ninth, earlier reached the last four after just seven games when Wayne Ferreira retired with a stomach strain while trailing 5-2.

Haas and Rios exchanged early breaks in the opening set but the Chilean grabbed another break in the ninth game with a whipped backhand down the line to give himself the chance of serving for the set.

Haas broke back to stay in the set, however, taking his second break point with a drop volley after forcing Rios out of position.

The pair both held to force a first set tiebreak.

A double fault and a huge backhand gave Haas a double break for 5-2 and he chased down a rash drop shot for 6-2 and four set points.

He clinched it on the first when Rios pushed a backhand wide.

Rios, still angry at a line call on one of his serves, was given a code violation at the changeover for calling umpire Jorge Diaz "stupid."

Haas kept his concentration throughout, though, and broke Rios for a 4-3 lead in the second set.

Having held for 5-3, he earned a set point when Rios rifled a backhand into the net. The Chilean saved it with a swinging serve but a game later Haas served out for a two-set lead as Rios's frustration grew.

Dangerous when he is down, Rios began hitting out and grabbed a break for a 3-1 lead in the third set.

But Haas hit straight back, breaking him to get back on serve at 3-2.

The pair were neck-and-neck in the third set and needed another tiebreak to separate them.

Rios got the early break and kept it to stretch into a 4-1 lead. He tore a backhand cross court for 5-1 before serving out to pull a set back.

The form that saw Rios become world number one in 1998 returned as he hit winners from seemingly impossible angles to break once more at the start of the fourth set.

But the volatility which has dogged his career was also present and he allowed the German to break back.

Haas kept his nose in front moving within four points of the match after holding for 5-4, but Rios held firm.

Haas edged ahead again with a superb service game, crunching down 125 mph-plus deliveries for 6-5.

Rios forced another tiebreak and again Haas's serve came to his rescue. He smashed down his 21st ace for a 4-1 lead then cracked a backhand crosscourt winner for 5-1 to move within two points of the semifinals.

He missed his first service point but a 22nd ace gave him 6-3 and three match points.

Rios saved the first with a big serve of his own, then hit a breathtaking drop volley to save a second but dumped a backhand into the net on the third as Haas claimed victory.

 

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