PARIS, 2 November 2003 — Britain’s Tim Henman spiked the heavy artillery of newly-crowned world No. 1 Andy Roddick here yesterday to storm into the final of the 2.45-million-euro Paris Masters with a stunning and dramatic 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (9-7) triumph.
Henman will now play Andrei Pavel in today’s final after the Romanian continued his fairy tale run with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Czech 14th seed Jiri Novak.
The 29-year-old Pavel only discovered he was playing in the event last Friday but he has responded to the call in staggering fashion winning four matches here this week having previously won just three on the tour in the entire year. He missed six months of the season through a combination of back and wrist injuries and saw his world ranking slump to 191.
Henman, who had lost to the 21-year-old Roddick in the first round of the US Open having beaten him on the way to the title in Washington earlier in the summer, needed six match points to clinch victory after 2hr 01min on court.
It gave him a place in only his second final of the season, a campaign which has seen both his confidence and ranking slip as he battled to recover from a shoulder injury.
US Open champion Roddick, chasing his seventh title of the season, lost his opening service game for the first time this week to give Henman the early edge and the normally brash American remained subdued with his big serve misfiring.
Sugiyama, Mauresmo Reach Philadelphia Semis
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, second seed Amelie Mauresmo of France easily defeated American Lisa Raymond on Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the $585,000 WTA event.
Mauresmo won 6-3, 6-3 to improve to 4-0 all-time against Raymond.
The 24-year-old Mauresmo reached the final at Moscow earlier this month but is without a title since winning at Warsaw in May. She advanced to her seventh semifinal of the season.
Third-seeded Anastasia Myskina of Russia qualified for the season-ending WTA Tour Championships with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of Germany’s Marlene Weingartner in the quarterfinals. Chanda Rubin hurt her chances for one of the coveted eight berths in Los Angeles as the fourth-seeded American fell to No. 7 Nadia Petrova of Russia, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.
Petrova has an outside opportunity to continue her season next week.
Fifth seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan also clinched a spot for the WTA Tour Championships with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 triumph over No. 9 Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States.
Sharapova, Pierce Reach Semis at Quebec WTA Event
Top seed Mary Pierce cruised into the semifinals of the $170,000 WTA Bell Challenge with Friday’s 6-3, 6-3 victory over 107th-ranked Lubomira Kurhajcova of Slovakia. This is sort of a homecoming for Pierce, who plays under the French flag but was born in nearby Montreal 29 years ago.
She is playing at this Tier III indoor event for the first time. Struggling with injuries in recent years, Pierce has not won a title since the 2000 French Open.
Second seed Maria Sharapova rolled into the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-2 thumping of Russian compatriot Alina Jidkova.
Laura Granville is Sharapova’s semifinal foe after the fourth-seeded American rallied for a 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 triumph over China’s Jie Zheng. Venezuela’s Milagros Sequera will square off against Pierce after eliminating sixth seed Marion Bartoli of France 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.
