10 September 2004	Friday	24 Rajab 1425

NEW YORK, Sept 9: The remnants of Hurricane Frances swept into New York to leave the eagerly-awaited US Open quarterfinal between top seed Roger Federer and twice former champion Andre Agassi hanging in the balance on Wednesday.

Former champion Lindsay Davenport and ninth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova dodged the showers to set up a semifinal clash in the women's singles but the rain returned to interrupt Federer and Agassi with the Swiss player 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 up.

Fifth seed Tim Henman was also on the verge of a first US Open semifinal appearance, leading 22nd seed Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-1, 7-5, 4-5. When play finally began on the Arthur Ashe Court, soon after 1945 local time (2345 GMT), Federer and Agassi were greeted by a half-empty stadium.

The predicted electric atmosphere did not take long to materialise though as world number one Federer, looking to become the first man to win three Grand Slam titles in the same year since Swede Mats Wilander in 1988, took the opening set.

But as the stadium filled up, so Agassi, the darling of the New York crowd, lifted his game. The 34-year-old, champion in 1994 and 1999, began to target the Federer backhand and it paid dividends when the American broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set.

Agassi had a chance in the second game of the third set but Federer saved a break point with an ace and though the veteran American continued to play the better tennis, he was unable to press home his advantage.

Agassi had not faced a single break point in the third set until a double fault at 30-30 in the 11th game handed Federer his opening. A netted backhand from Agassi then gave the Swiss the break and a strong service game helped him take the set.

The two players were level at deuce on the Agassi serve in the opening game of the fourth set when the rain returned. Henman blitzed through the first set and saved a set point at 4-5 in the second before doubling his lead.

The fifth seed, who reached the semifinals at the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this year, broke for 2-1 in the third but Hrbaty levelled at 4-4 and held serve for 5-4 before they were forced off court.

The few fans who ventured on to the Louis Armstrong Court witnessed a demolition job from fifth seed Davenport as she dismissed unseeded Japanese Shinobu Asagoe 6-1, 6-1 in 45 minutes.

Despatched to Court 11 where only a smattering of spectators greeted them, ninth seed Kuznetsova trailed 2-0 against fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, the 14th seed who beat defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in round four.

But Kuznetsova hit back to seize the first-set tiebreak and an early break in the second helped her clinch her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance with a 7-6, 6-3 triumph.

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS:

WOMEN'S SINGLES:

QUARTERFINALS: 9-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 14-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; 5-Lindsay Davenport (US) beat Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6-1, 6-1.

MEN'S SINGLES: 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) leads 6-Andre Agassi (US) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; 5-Tim Henman (Britain) leads 22-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 6-1, 7-5, 4-5. -Reuters