Juan Carlos Ferrero knocked Andre Agassi out of the US Open 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 on Saturday, and will replace him as the world’s top-ranked man in the new rankings this week.
”To be at number one, it’s a special day for me,” Ferrero said. ”I am playing good. I have a lot of confidence. I can do every shot.”
Ferrero will next face number four Andy Roddick, who rallied from two sets down to beat exhausted David Nalbandian 6-7 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1, 6-3 and reached his first Grand Slam final.
”I’m pumped. I came here so many times when I was younger, and I can’t believe I’m actually in a US Open final,” said Roddick, the 2000 junior Open champion.
”It would be great to go one step further.”
With Justine Henin-Hardenne beating Kim Clijsters 7-5, 6-1 in an all-Belgian women’s championship match on Saturday night, a loss by Roddick would have meant no Americans in either singles final at a US Open for the first time since 1988.
But Roddick showed real grit, erasing a match point in the third set en route to his season-leading 18th straight victory. He’s 36-2 since teaming with coach Brad Gilbert, Agassi’s former mentor, after a first-round exit at the French Open.
”It’s maturity. By playing, you learn. I feel confident right now, so I didn’t feel there was a need to panic,” Roddick said, referring to his two-set deficit. ”To come through that gave me new life. I was almost down and out anyway. I just decided to go for it.”
Ferrero, the reigning French Open champion, was inspired in his first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium all tournament, and appeared to be fresher than Agassi, who had two extra days off during a rain-delayed week at Flushing Meadows.
Remarkably, he outslugged Agassi from the baseline, all the while zipping from corner to corner with the speed that earned the nickname ”Mosquito”.
No shot was more spectacular than one through his legs with his back to the net in the third set. Agassi volleyed that back, and Ferrero switched directions and sprinted up for a crosscourt forehand passing winner.
”He was just taking care of his business better than I was,” Agassi said. ”By the time I was getting into the match, I was
already two sets down. So that’s difficult.”
Ferrero will have his fourth match in four days on Sunday, the first time anyone has been asked to do that at a Grand Slam tournament in the 35-year Open era.
He showed few signs of fatigue on Saturday, though a trainer taped both of his thighs during the changeover at 2-1 in the fourth set.
Ferrero broke at love for 5-4 in the fourth, pumping his fist as he walked to the sideline to switch sides. He hit 51 winners to Agassi’s 47 and pounded 10 aces to 12 for Agassi.
He’s the first Spaniard to reach the Open final since Manuel Orantes defeated Jimmy Connors in 1975.
At this point in Agassi’s career, every loss at a major prompts questions about his retirement. They’re more poignant these days now that rival Pete Sampras quit.
”I just have to go back to work,” Agassi said. ”Something would have to change drastically for me not to be back.”
There was no thought of quitting by Nalbandian, even though he complained of wrist and stomach injuries.
”To his disadvantage, he had to play a couple more matches than I did in the last few days,” Roddick said. ”I thought I had a little bit left in the tank, a little bit more than he did.”
Roddick lost the first set despite compiling 14 aces, and after sending a return long to lose the second set, he tossed aside his racket as he plopped down in his courtside chair. About the most fight Roddick displayed early came while he was sitting during the initial changeover of the third set, getting a callus on his right foot sprayed and wrapped.
Upset at the length of the delay, Nalbandian — who had his left wrist heavily taped earlier — went out on court to wait. That prompted Roddick to snap: ”Don’t worry. I’m playing.”
Later in that set, Roddick yelled at chair umpire Andreas Egli for not overruling a call on a double-fault. Roddick saved the true tirade for the next changeover.
”The calls have been bad all day. Terrible. I have not said one word all day,” Roddick said, his voice rising. ”Step up!” The outburst appeared to fire him up.
Nalbandian’s match point came at 6-5 in the third-set tiebreaker, but Roddick erased that with a 222kph service winner. Roddick followed with a 218kph ace for a 7-6 edge and his second set point, which he wasted with a forehand into the net.
But Nalbandian netted a backhand on a rally during which a fan called ”Out!” — the Argentine complained to Egli about the distraction — and Roddick ended the tiebreaker with a forehand volley winner.
Suddenly on cruise control, Roddick broke in the first game of the fourth set, which Nalbandian pretty much conceded.
Roddick then broke to 5-3 in the last set. He hit an inside-out forehand winner to earn two break points, and converted the first when Nalbandian’s backhand flew wide. Nalbandian disagreed with the call, pointing at the spot where it landed and arguing with Egli to no avail.
”Every time it was close,” Nalbandian said, ”everything was for” Roddick.
Roddick observed the scene while perched on a courtside sign, then served out the match at love. — Sapa-AP