Schuettler reigns

German outsider to face Agassi for Australian title

German town toasts win KORBACH, Germany, Jan 24 (Reuters) -- Never before at Korbach School had tennis scores been announced through the public address system. But Friday was no ordinary day. Children at the secondary school in this small town in central Germany were avidly following Rainer Schuettler's semifinal battle with Andy Roddick at the Australian Open. In the end, the school's former pupil won 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to become only the second German, after Boris Becker, to reach the men's final in the event's 98-year history. Schuettler's parents, Karl and Klara, watched the match on television with a few friends. Then came the phone call they had been waiting for, with a jubilant Schuettler on the line. "The chances that he would win were 50-50 in my view," Karl told reporters. "Even if he had lost, I would not have been disappointed. Whatever comes next is a bonus." Schuettler now plays American Andre Agassi, the overwhelming favorite. Schuettler's father said his son first wanted to become a football player. "There were a few times when he was disappointed because nobody picked him up to go to the football, so I took him to play tennis instead," he said. "That's how it started." In Melbourne, Schuettler is already preparing for Sunday's final. "I've turned the world on its head," said the 26-year-old, who had never before gone beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament. "You have to have dreams, otherwise it's boring. Sometimes you have a chance to realize a dream." Once used to high-profile victories, German fans have had little to celebrate since the retirement of former world No. 1s Boris Becker and Steffi Graf, now married to Agassi. Tennis in Germany is going through a crisis with the national federation facing financial difficulties due to falling interest from sponsors and broadcasters. Schuettler's run to the Australian Open final has therefore brought an unexpected ray of hope. After Friday's win, German Tennis Federation (DTB) president Georg von Waldenfels immediately boarded a plane to Melbourne. Not since 1996 has a German man reached a Grand Slam final. That year Becker won the Australian Open for the second time and Michael Stich lost the French Open final.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -- Rainer Schuettler squeezed every last drop of energy and fight out of Andy Roddick on Friday to reach his first grand slam final at the Australian Open with a 7-5 2-6 6-3 6-3 victory.

The 26-year-old employed ruthless tactics to smother Roddick's hopes and set up a clash with second-seeded American Andre Agassi.

Schuettler becomes only the second German, behind Boris Becker, to reach the men's final in the event's 98-year history.

"Right now it is unbelievable," the 31st seed said, choked with emotion. "It was a dream and sometimes you have a chance to realize a dream. I have another dream now, to win it."

Schuettler knows it will be an uphill struggle against Agassi, who is chasing a fourth Open crown, a record for an overseas player.

"He kicked my ass already but it is great to be in the final," he told John McEnroe courtside, before laughing and flexing his muscles to the crowd as McEnroe chronicled his progress so far.

For Roddick, though, it was a cruel exit from a tournament in which he had burst through barriers and set new marks for courage and determination.

Record book

Before this event, the American had never come back from two sets down to win a match. In Melbourne he managed it twice. On the second occasion he saved a match point and twice came from a set down to beat Younes El Aynaoui 4-6 7-6 4-6 6-4 21-19.

It was a match which lasted a minute short of five hours and featured the longest fifth set in grand slam history. It put Roddick and El Aynaoui in the record books but ultimately destroyed the ninth seed's chances of reaching a first grand slam final.

Both semifinalists were in uncharted grand slam territory, Roddick's best performances had been two U.S. Open quarterfinals while Schuettler had never been beyond the last 16 at one of the big four.

Schuettler's strategy was clear from the start. He did not target Roddick's forehand his backhand or his return, he targeted the American's weary legs.

Schuettler had enjoyed a walkover against the injured Marat Safin in the third round and has spent six hours less on court than his opponent.

On Friday night the American showed up dressed like any fashion-conscious 20-year-old, spiked hair sprouting out from a retro sun-visor and wearing baggy board shorts.

But he played like a man of more advanced years, his legs sapped of spring and energy by that marathon with the Moroccan.

Fierce serves

Suffering a wrist injury sustained in the match with El Aynaoui, Roddick had not come this far to quit, though. With a strapped-up right wrist he came out all guns blazing.

He snatched a break in the very first game and then held with some fierce serves, wincing after each delivery. But Schuettler had a game plan and it started to pay dividends.

Ghosting groundstrokes into the corners, flighting gentle, sharply-angled shots away from the American and nudging drop shots over the net, the German kept Roddick running and running.

He broke back in the fourth game and another break in the 12th game gave the 31st seed the opening set.

Tournament trainer Bill Norris re-taped Roddick's wrist at the end of the set as the 20-year-old looked up at his coach Tarik Benhabiles watching anxiously from the stands.

He need not have worried so soon. Roddick blazed into a 4-0 lead with two breaks of serve as Schuettler temporarily lost his way.

The explosive American wrapped up the set 6-2 in just 24 minutes with some tremendous power hitting to level the match.

But his wrist was still troubling him and Norris re-taped it once more.

Despite winning the set, Roddick's body language was terrible. His shoulders hunched and he practically hobbled around court between points.

Unable to last long rallies and feeling the pain of Schuettler's tactics, Roddick was forced into going for more and more outright winners.

It was a high-risk strategy and one which stung the American.

By the end of the third set he was once again behind and his unforced error count had leaped to 33.

The snap in his shots was missing and the spring in his step a fading memory as he failed to summon any energy on center court.

Schuettler broke in the first game of the third set when yet another attempt at a clear winner flew wide and long.

Almost energized by his opponent's lethargy, Schuettler chased and raced for everything, holding for a 2-0 lead as Roddick's chances slipped away.

Seven games later he closed out the biggest victory of his career in two hours 19 minutes with a backhand pass down the line to break Roddick to love.

 

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