NEW YORK, 6 September 2003 — Reigning French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero advanced to the US Open semifinals here yesterday by defeating Australian sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7 5), 6-1. The Spanish third seed, playing in his first US Open quarterfinal, will now play world No. 1 Andre Agassi today for a berth in Sunday’s final. Agassi had earlier beaten Guillermo Coria 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.
Hewitt won the 2001 US Open champion and 2002 Wimbledon titles but lost eight of the last nine games to Ferrero, struggling with an injured left hip. Hewitt blew two set points in the third set.
Ferrero evened their career rivalry at 3-3 and avenged a loss at last year’s 2002 ATP Masters Cup final in Shanghai, which Hewitt won in five sets. Ferrero, 23, became only the third Spanish man into US Open semifinals after 1975 winner Manuel Orantes and 1998 semifinalist Carlos Moya.
Hewitt, 22, reached his fourth consecutive US Open quarterfinal in his best Slam showing of the year but it was another disappointing exit after bowing in the first round at Wimbledon.
Agassi pummeled a patched-up Coria to reach his ninth US Open semifinal. Coria, suffering from a left hamstring injury and with blood pouring from a cut thumb, struggled with his movement for most of the contest as the top seed and world number one ran him from side to side under blue Flushing Meadows skies.
The 33-year-old American, beaten by Coria at the French Open earlier this year, clinched the opening set with measured rallying as the Argentine’s form dipped momentarily.
Fifth-seeded Coria hung in the second set until, while serving at 4-3, he was broken again. The Argentine fought off two break points but cracked on the third when he chased a drop shot down but floated his response beyond the baseline.
Hitting with great authority, Agassi served out to take a two-set lead when a weary-looking Coria netted an attempted drop shot. A slice of luck with a line call gave Agassi a break point in the fifth game of the third set which he duly converted to nose ahead. He kept in front but, serving at 5-4 for the match, he faltered.
Agassi blew four match points and allowed the Argentine to break him for 5-5. A comeback by a fully-fit Coria would have been a lot to ask. Nursing an injury, it was an impossibility. Agassi pounced on the 21-year-old’s delivery in the next game to allow him to serve for the match a second time and he made no mistake.
Earlier, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer’s US Open run juddered to a halt when he was bounced by his Argentine bogeyman but Kim Clijsters was in fine form as rain clouds finally cleared from Flushing Meadows.
Federer, seeded second here on the back of his grasscourt grand slam triumph, fell once again to Argentine David Nalbandian, this time 3-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round. The stocky 21-year-old from Cordoba has now beaten Federer all five times they have met on the Tour — three times this year and twice in 2002. “I guess I am struggling against him,” Federer smiled wryly.
Clijsters reached her first US Open semifinal with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-4 victory over France’s Amelie Mauresmo. The Belgian top seed will face former champion and third seed Lindsay Davenport for a place in today’s final after the American ousted Argentine Paola Suarez 6-4, 6-0. “It’s definitely a great feeling,” Clijsters grinned.
Her fellow Belgian and second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne was also feeling great having booked her spot in the last four with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Anastasia Myskina. Myskina had earlier in the day completed her fourth round victory against Mary Pierce.
The Russian seventh seed won that contest, which spanned four days, 7-6, 6-1 but was no match for Henin-Hardenne under the floodlights. French Open champion Henin-Hardenne will face Jennifer Capriati in the last four after the American also beat a “second-hand” opponent.
Italy’s Francesca Schiavone had also played earlier on Thursday, completing a 6-7, 7-5, 6-2 win over seed Ai Sugiyama.
Like Myskina, Schiavone could not duplicate that form later in the day and sixth seeded Capriati won 6-1 6-3 in straightforward fashion.
Hewitt too was in form, beating Thai Paradorn Srichaphan 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in a fourth round clash. And third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero beat American Todd Martin 6-2, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3.
In the last eight Nalbandian will face crowd favorite Younes El Aynaoui. The Moroccan, who is developing a cult following in New York, reached his second straight quarterfinal by beating former world No. 1 Carlos Moya 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4. Guillermo Coria fought off Jonas Bjorkman to win his fourth round match 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, and America’s other hope for silverware, Andy Roddick, will meet Sjeng Schalken, a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 winner over German Rainer Schuettler.
