NEW YORK, Sept 8: In the end James Blake, like the rest of Flushing Meadows, had no choice but to embrace the legend. Andre Agassi’s astounding recovery from two sets and a break down to win their all-American US Open quarterfinal started on Wednesday, finished on Thursday and will be remembered for years.
The 35-year-old with the bad back completed a 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 victory with a forehand service return that plopped perfectly on to the junction of baseline and tramline nine minutes after one o’clock in the morning.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion will play another American, Robby Ginepri, in the last four.
On a day when American world number one Lindsay Davenport was beaten by a Russian with one of the worst serves in women’s tennis, Agassi and his wild card opponent combined to send the host nation’s spirits soaring.
Blake, who had saved one match point with a forehand punch down the line, bore his scarcely deserved defeat with the grace of a man grateful to have played his part in a great sporting moment.
Agassi is the oldest US Open semifinalist since a 39-year-old Jimmy Connors reached the last four in 1991 and his victory over Blake, his second successive five-set win, showed talk of his retirement is premature.
Davenport stumbled out of the tournament after a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 defeat by sixth seed Elena Dementieva, who fully deserved her win despite serving 12 double-faults to take her five-match tally to 62.
The Russian, runner-up last year, will face Mary Pierce in the semifinals after the rejuvenated Frenchwoman thrashed third seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-4, 6-1.
Davenport’s defeat means the US will not have a representative in the women’s semifinals for the first time since 1994. It was only the second time in the last nine US Opens that she has failed to reach at least the semis.
Dementieva lost to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year’s final and this time she could face another Russian, with top seed Maria Sharapova contesting the other semifinal against Belgian Kim Clijsters.
The 23-year-old Muscovite saved one match point at 5-6 in the tiebreak before producing a backhand winner to take it 8-6.
Pierce, the 30-year-old 12th seed who knocked out Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne in round four, mesmerised Mauresmo 6-4, 6-1 to reach the last four.
Unseeded American Robby Ginepri took a more tortuous but now-familiar route into his first Grand Slam semifinal, beating Guillermo Coria in his third successive five-set triumph 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
Wednesday’s results:
Men’s singles:
Quarterfinals: 7-Andre Agassi (US) bt James Blake (US) 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6); Robby Ginepri (US) bt 8-Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
Women’s singles:
Quarterfinals: 6-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt 2-Lindsay Davenport (US) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6); 12-Mary Pierce (France) bt 3-Amelie Mauresmo (France) 6-4, 6-1.—Reuters