With timepiece precision
Agassi advances to Swiss final in 54 minutes, faces Henman
Posted: Saturday October 10, 1998 06:39 PM
| |
Agassi is one win away from his fifth title of the year AP |
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) -- Fourth-seeded Andre Agassi defeated home favorite Marc Rosset in straight sets Saturday to move into the title match at the $975,000 Swiss Indoors tennis tournament where he will face Britain's Tim Henman.
Agassi received little resistance from the towering Swiss power-server, cruising through his semifinal 6-4, 6-2 in just 54 minutes.
Henman, seeded sixth, booked his place in the final by edging Sweden's Thomas Johansson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5).
"The final should be a good one," said Agassi, who reached the title match without dropping a set. "Henman seems to be a good indoors player.
"He'll pose a good challenge as an opponent and it should be an entertaining final. It's nice to see players of Tim Henman's class and professional style do so well."
Agassi dominated the match from the very start, never giving Rosset a chance to get into the match and stir up the support of the 8,700 Swiss spectators crowded into the St. Jakobshalle stadium. The American broke Rosset's second serve in the opening set, then served two consecutive love games in the second before breaking to take a 4-2 lead.
"I think I played very smart, very solidly," said Agassi. "He's not an easy player to play. He's got a very powerful serve, a very varied pace and he's unpredictable."
Organizers breathed a sigh of relief as the two remaining seeded players advanced to the final after early round devastation saw top-ranked Pete Sampras, the reigning Wimbledon champion, and No. 2 Patrick Rafter, the U.S. Open winner, as well as Australian Open champion Petr Korda lose.
Agassi, however, was not interested in names or numbers.
"I'm not interested in playing Rafter or Pete," said Agassi. "I want to play the best players, and every week that changes.
"This week Rafter and Pete weren't the best. Tim Henman was."
Having Sampras lose so early could also help Agassi's chances of regaining the No. 1 spot after three years, completing an incredible comeback.
Currently ranked eighth in the world, the 28-year-old American, who has just 68 points left to defend this season, is in a position to finish the year No. 1 in the world.
Agassi, who held the No. 1 ATP Tour ranking in April 1995, was ranked 141 in the world last November and was out of the top 100 at the end of 1997 for the first time since he'd turned pro in 1985.
While Agassi has no Grand Slam or Super-9 titles this season, his 56-13 match record is the best on the ATP Tour in match victories and winning percentage.
"I'm not interested in being No. 1 at the end of the year," said Agassi, who has won four titles this season, each without dropping a set. "I just want to establish myself as one of the best players going into the Australian Open.
"However, my main concern at the moment in Tim Henman."
Agassi is currently fifth on the Road to Hanover standings, and his victory over Rosset could help cement his place among the top eight and secure for him a berth in the ATP Tour World Championship next month.
Henman, who lost to Mark Philippoussis in the semifinals last year, extended his match winning streak to 11 with his victory over Johansson.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
