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Agassi wins, Roddick doesn't in Italian Open semis

ROME (AP) -- Andre Agassi advanced to the final with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Jiri Novak on Saturday, but Germany's Tommy Haas prevented the first all-American final ever at the Italian Open with a 6-1, 7-5 defeat of Andy Roddick.

Agassi used sharp groundstrokes and a strong return of serve to break the 14th-seeded Czech once in each set in front of a sellout crowd on center court.

The two breaks were all Agassi needed in an otherwise even match. The No. 9 seed extended his record against Novak to 4-0 with a service winner on his fourth match point.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Agassi said. "To get through all the matches so far has been great."

Agassi reached the final in Rome for the first time since 1989, when the 19-year-old clay-court neophyte lost in five sets to Alberto Mancini.

"That was 13 years ago, so I've managed to forget a bit," Agassi said. "It feels so great to be back in the finals, I can't even tell you, it's truly like a dream."

Neither Haas nor Agassi has lost a set in the tournament this week.

Haas won the first set against the 19-year-old Roddick in just 20 minutes, the third time this week that Roddick dropped the first set.

In the second set, the German broke the American's serve in the 11th game and served out the match.

The 24-year-old Haas, who began the year by reaching the Australian Open semifinals, ended Roddick's best run yet at a Masters Series event. The tournament has never had two Americans in the final since it started in 1930.

"This whole tournament has been good for me. This is probably my best result on clay," said Haas, who had never before advanced past the third round here.

 

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