Still standing

Agassi wins Key Biscayne semifinal when Rios retires

Andre Agassi is a four-time champion and two-time runner-up. AP

KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) -- Andre Agassi won one set Friday, enough to make him a finalist at Key Biscayne for the seventh time.

The four-time champion advanced when Marcelo Rios retired because of recurrent knee tendinitis with their semifinal match tied after two sets at the Nasdaq-100 Open.

Agassi lost the first set 7-6 (7) and won the second 6-4. During the ensuing changeover, Rios briefly consulted with trainer Doug Spreen, then retired and shook Agassi's hand.

"I was very surprised," Agassi said. "The last thing you're expecting is for the match to come to kind of an abrupt end."

The ninth-seeded Agassi's opponent Sunday will be No. 12 Roger Federer of Switzerland, who upset No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-4.

Rios said his inflamed right knee has bothered him for two months, and he was unsure whether he would even be able to take the court. The knee hurt when he pushed off to serve or run, he said, and the pain became too severe to play a deciding third set.

The 699th victory of Agassi's career was his first in three matches against Rios.

"If I wasn't injured, there was no way he could beat me," the Chilean said. "I was playing much better than him. But that's the way it goes."

On Sunday, Agassi can add to the Key Biscayne titles he won in 1990, 1995, 1996 and 2001. His opponent, Federer, is in a Tennis Master Series final for the first time and has yet to lose his serve or a set in the tournament.

Federer, best known for ending Pete Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon winning streak last year, snapped Hewitt's 15-match winning streak with a dominating performance.

Federer, 20, comes to the net more than most players of his generation, and he mixed it up nicely against Hewitt. He hit 29 winners, knocked off 19 points at the net and lost only six points on his first serve, topping out at 127 mph.

"I've never beaten the No. 1 player before," Federer said. "It's quite a special moment for me, obviously."

In the women's final Saturday, top-seeded Jennifer Capriati plays No. 8 Serena Williams, with each American bidding for her first Key Biscayne title.

Capriati, extended past midnight for the second time this week, advanced early Friday by overcoming two match points to beat No. 5 Monica Seles 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

For nearly two hours against Agassi, Rios appeared intent on making the final for the first time since winning the 1998 title. The fluid, stylish little left-hander mixed angles, speeds and spins to keep Agassi off balance.

Rios took the court with a light wrap around his leg just below the knee, then had Spreen apply heavier tape during the first set. But only occasionally did Rios' movement seem hampered.

Agassi missed plenty of chances to take the lead, converting just two of 17 break-point opportunities. On several of those points Rios came up with a clutch winner.

"It got to where I was almost saying `good shot' before he even hit the ball," Agassi said. "It's very frustrating. I had a lot of opportunities. But I felt like if I just stayed with it, eventually I would be able to take that opportunity. It's hard to keep that perspective, but I was doing it."

The tiebreaker was another source of frustration for Agassi. His record in tiebreakers this year fell to 1-7, and every set he has lost in 2001 has gone to a tiebreaker.

"Don't get me thinking about that," he said.

Agassi lost four of eight service points in the tiebreaker and was barely wide with a backhand when holding a set point at 6-5. Rios' sleight-of-hand shotmaking was at its best during that stretch, and he closed out the set by slicing a drop volley so sharply that it bounced at a 90-degree angle toward the chair umpire, beyond Agassi's reach.

"He's a very talented player," Agassi said. "The big points he played incredibly well, and he kept himself in the lead until the very end."

In the second set Agassi failed to convert seven more break-point chances but kept holding easily and took a 5-4 lead. Rios double faulted to face yet another break point, and this time Agassi converted when his opponent pushed a forehand wide.

That gave Agassi the set, and the crowd of 10,000 reacted with a standing ovation. Moments later, the match was over.

"I wanted to play the third set," Agassi said. "That's what we're out there for. You're out there to finish it, to try to win. It's disappointing for the fans. Nobody wins in a situation like that."

Especially not Rios, who plans to undergo an MRI exam and may face a layoff from the tour. The 26-year-old has been plagued by injuries since his brief reign at No. 1 in 1998.

"I'm paying for all those years I've been playing," he said.

 

Related information
Stories
Serena gets the better of Venus for a change SI's Jon Wertheim: Sibling standoff
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.