January 27, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 26, 1426

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MELBOURNE, Jan 26: Unseeded Marcos Baghdatis extended his remarkable run at the Australian Open, rallying on Thursday to beat No. 4 David Nalbandian 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and reach the final.

With the crowd screaming support, the 54th-ranked Baghdatis guaranteed that he will more than double his career winnings. He will play the winner of Friday’s semifinal between top-seeded Roger Federer and No. 21 Nicolas Kiefer.

Baghdatis, a former world junior champion from Cyprus, was serving for the match at 15-15 when rain began pouring down, forcing organizers to close the roof on Rod Laver Arena.

After workers toweled off the surface, the 20-year-old Baghdatis missed his first match point on a backhand that was ruled long.

Nalbandian hit a forehand into the net to set up a second chance, and Baghdatis finished it off with his 15th ace, dropping to his knees and bowing his head.

Baghdatis, who hadn’t made it past the fourth round of his first five Grand Slam events, won 17 of the last 21 points.

Nalbandian said he had abdominal muscle pain throughout the match which took some pace off his serves.

On the women’s side, second-seeded Kim Clijsters had to quit during her semifinal against No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo after spraining her right ankle. Mauresmo, seeking her first Grand Slam title, will face eighth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne on Saturday.

The stadium was awash in blue-and-white _ looking more like Greece’s national day than Australia’s _ in support of Baghdatis. The dozens of chanting fans who showed up for every one of his matches had plenty of company this time in a city with a large Greek population.

Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon finalist, led by a set and 5-1 before Baghdatis started rallying.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers as he tied it at 5-5. He was serving at 15-40 in the next game when holiday fireworks started thundering nearby. The startled Baghdatis hit a forehand crosscourt winner before twisting his ankle while losing the next point and the game.

Unlike Clijsters, Baghdatis bounced up quickly. Nalbandian held serve to take the set, but Baghdatis continued to claw back, seemingly oblivious to the pressure, soccer kicking a ball eight times at one point.

He survived an early break to take the third set and broke Nalbandian for the only time that he needed in the fourth, holding serve the rest of the way.

Never-say-die Baghdatis, with his infectious smile and quirky service routine of using his racket to bounce the ball once between his legs each time, rallied twice from service breaks in the fifth set. The umpire had to repeatedly ask the delirious crowd for quiet.

Serving at 4-4, Nalbandian double-faulted, then committed three straight errors to give Baghdatis his eighth service break.

Baghdatis held serve for the match.

Clijsters, who will rise to No. 1 when the new rankings come out next week, turned her ankle in the third set, bringing an abrupt end to a match that looked to be heading to a tense conclusion.

Mauresmo was leading 5-7, 6-2, 3-2 and 15-love when Clijsters hobbled to the net and withdrew.

That ended the prospect of an all-Belgian final with Henin-Hardenne, who is seeking a fifth Grand Slam singles title. She extended her Melbourne Park winning streak to 13 matches by ousting No. 4 Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Clijsters already was suffering from hip and back pain and had trouble with her left hamstring from compensating.

Henin-Hardenne beat Clijsters in the 2004 final but was sidelined by injuries last year.

She won the Sydney International on Jan. 13, coming back from a hamstring injury, and is 10-0 this season.

Mauresmo has not returned to a Grand Slam final since Martina Hingis beat her here in 1999. She finally managed a breakthrough win at the season-ending WTA Championship last November.

With the roof closed due to heat, Henin-Hardenne and Sharapova produced outstanding defensive pickups and clean winners.

Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, reached the semis at three of the four majors last season and lost to the eventual champion at all four.

Results

Women’s singles (Semifinals)

Justine Henin-Hardenne bt Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Amelie Mauresmo bt Kim Clijsters 5-7, 6-2, 3-2 ret.

Men’s singles (Semifinals)

Marcos Baghdatis bt David Nalbandian 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4—AP