Three-time champion Andre Agassi outslugged unseeded Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 on Friday to advance to the semifinals at the $380 000 ATP Mercedes-Benz Cup.
”I’m really happy with where my game is now,” Agassi said. ”Getting through with this match now, I’m believing in it.”
Agassi has been sidelined for the past two months since an opening-round loss at the French Open in May because of a sciatic-nerve problem due to a bulging back disc.
However, the eight-time grand-slam champion has looked sharp in rolling past Frenchman Jean Rene Lisnard and fellow American Kevin Kim before being extended by Paradorn en route to a final-four spot.
With the two-month break, Agassi wasn’t expecting to be this sharp so early.
”You come out here, you expect to struggle, but I’m very pleased how I came out here starting with the first round,” he said.
Against Paradorn, Agassi looked sharp in what he termed ”ballistic” tennis. He used a pair of service breaks and rifled in an ace on set point to grab the opener against the hard-hitting but error-prone shot-maker.
In the second set, Agassi jumped to a 3-1 lead with yet another service break. Paradorn, however, returned the favor and levelled the match when Agassi double-faulted on set point.
In the third set, Agassi recorded the lone service break in the third game to go ahead 5-3 but failed on three match points to close it out. Finally, at 5-4, he smacked his sixth ace to claim the one-hour-52-minute victory.
In the most compelling match of the day, number two Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia erased seven match points to escape unseeded Brazilian left-hander Ricardo Mello, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2.
Hrbaty will face Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, who beat American Robby Ginepri 7-6 (7/5), 7-5.
Agassi will oppose unseeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, who bounced Xavier Malisse 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). Malisse had dismissed defending champion Tommy Haas of Germany in the second round on Wednesday. — Sapa-AFP