May 12, 2002	Sunday	Safar 28, 1423

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ROME, May 11: Andre Agassi defeated Jiri Novak here Saturday to book a place in the final of the 2.8-million-dollar ATP Masters Series for the first time in 13 years.

Ninth seed American Agassi, who has never won on the red clay at the Eternal City, faced stiff competition from 14th-seeded Czech Novak but managed to break service once in each set to clinch a 7-5, 6-4 win.

Now he gets the chance to atone for his final defeat 13 years ago when he had Championship point but lost to Alberto Mancini of Argentina.

“It’s a different century, a different decade, a different millennium,” said Agassi. “It feels so great to be in the final after 13 years. It’s truly great.

“I need to find a little bit more to win tomorrow.”

But asked if he was worth a bet Agassi replied: “We are not allowed to bet. If I was to advise you how to bet I would say ‘show a little love for me and bet on me’.”

Novak said: “He (Agassi) was better on the court and took his chances and won in straight sets.

In the final Agassi will face Tommy Haas who beat Andy Roddick 6-1 7-5.

Agassi showed signs of nerves, spurning three match points - the third with a double fault, but clinched it on the fourth when Novak’s return was long.

The first set was a closely-contested affair with both players missing chances to break - Agassi was particularly guilty at one stage when he was leading 40-0 on the Novak serve but then squandered three break points at 3-3.

But in the 11th game it was the Czech who would falter as Agassi won the game against serve to move 6-5 ahead.

In the next game Novak missed two chances to break back before the American clinched the set at the first time of asking.

The early part of the second set was equally tightly contested with Agassi continuing with an aggressive game but Novak replying with some fine passing shots from the baseline.

Agassi had the vast majority of the near-capacity centre-court crowd behind him but some spectators began to warm to the Czech.

However, Novak’s cultured tennis, compared by Agassi to that of former Slovakian star Miroslav Mecir, was no match for his opponent who set up two break points in game nine of the second set, clinching the second with a superb service return.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding): Semifinals: 7-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat 13-Andy Roddick (U.S.) 6-1 7-5; 9-Andre Agassi (United States) beat 14-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) 7-5 6-4