INDIAN WELLS, March 21: Top-ranked Roger Federer survived a raucous crowd to beat a pumped up Andre Agassi 4-6 6-3 6-4 on Saturday and will meet ninth-seeded Tim Henman in the Pacific Life Open final.
World number one Federer will face his nemesis in the final after the Briton posted a clinical 6-3 6-2 win over Georgia's Irakli Labadze in the other semifinal.
In reaching his second Pacific Life Open final, Henman suffocated Labadze with his net rushing attack and returned serve with authority. The British number one converted 16 of his 23 net approaches, broke the Georgian four times and committed only 10 unforced errors to 22 from his foe.
Earlier, Federer battled in searing 109 degree temperatures could not find his rhythm until late in the match. The Swiss picked up his game when it counted, however, whizzing groundstrokes toward the lines and serving with precision.
The match turned in the ninth game of the final set with Agassi serving up 40-15. Instead of crisply putting away a forehand volley, the 33-year-old smoothed it crosscourt.
Federer managed to fire a return at the American, who poked the ball into the middle of the court where the in-form Swiss player tracked it down before burying a forehand winner.
