Agassi sets up Ferrero meeting

TENNIS / US Open: Andre Agassi blasted his way past a patched-up Guillermo Coria and into his ninth US Open semi-final last night.

The 33-year-old's comprehensive 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory over the fifth-seeded Argentinian earned him a shot at Juan Carlos Ferrero for a place in tomorrow's final.

"This weekend will be one heck of an opportunity for pretty special memories. I'll go out there with great excitement," said the world number one.

Third seed Ferrero is also smacking his lips at the prospect of today's clash with top seed Agassi.

"It's exciting, I am playing good tennis here in New York," the Spaniard said after beating 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1.

"It's gonna be a tough match because Andre is playing great ... it's gonna be very tough for me playing Andre here with all the crowd supporting him."

Suffering from a left hamstring injury and with blood pouring from a cut thumb last night, Coria struggled with his movement for most of the contest under blue Flushing Meadows skies.

Agassi, beaten by Coria at the French Open earlier this year, clinched the match with aggressive hitting from the back.

Never past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows in four previous visits, Ferrero needed two hours and 49 minutes to register his first hardcourt win over Hewitt.

Having split the first two sets, the match began to slip away from Hewitt in the third after the 22-year-old Australian received treatment on his left hip.

Leading 5-4, Hewitt called for the trainer and was stretched out on the Louis Armstrong court for several minutes while he was treated.

Hewitt returned to the court and showed no signs of his injury, immediately earning two set points.

But the 23-year-old Spaniard erased both with back-to-back aces, forcing the set into a tie-break which he took 7-5.

Ferrero stepped up the pressure in the fourth, breaking Hewitt at the first opportunity for a commanding 3-0 lead, from which the Australian failed to recover.

In the bottom half of the draw, Andy Roddick walloped Sjeng Schalken 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to reach his first semi-final.