Corretja and Norman prevail

Spain's Alex Corretja and Swede Magnus Norman booked their places in the Rome Masters Series semi-finals yesterday, after both men outclassed their opponents in straight sets.

Corretja ousted Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), while Norman dispatched another Spanish clay court specialist, Felix Mantilla, 6-4, 6-3.

There was no competition in the first set but both men held serve throughout the second as Hrbaty, who knocked out world number one Andre Agassi, put up a determined fight. The 15th-seeded Slovak rallied from 1-4 down to 5-5 in the tiebreaker. But he conceded the match when Corretja, the 10th seed, slammed down his ninth and final ace and Hrbaty responded with a double-fault.

Corretja now faces either defending champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil or Spanish compatriot Albert Costa for a place in tomorrow's final.

Norman, the third seed, needed no tiebreak to decide his encounter. The Swede made the decisive break for 4-2 and needed only to serve out for his place in the last four of the $2.95 million tournament.

He now meets either Australian ninth-seed Lleyton Hewitt or Argentinian Mariano Puerta.

Meanwhile, Amanda Coetzer ruined the hopes of local favourite Anke Huber by beating her 6-4, 6-4 in their German Open quarter-final. Coetzer, seeded 10th, meets either fellow South African Joannette Kruger or Russian Elena Dementieva for a place in the final of the Berlin clay court event.

Both players had dropped serve once when Coetzer broke Huber to lead 5-4 in the first set, which she wrapped up in the next game with a forehand volley on set point.

The second set followed a similar scenario. Huber survived two match points before bowing out by hitting a return long.

Conchita Martinez had earlier beaten Gala Leon Garcia 6-4 6-2 in their all-Spanish battle. Martinez, the third seed, will take on either top seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland or France's Sandrine Testud in the semi-finals today.

After breaking Leon Garcia in the last game of the first set, Martinez moved clearly on top in the second, opening up a 40 lead. Leon Garcia saved one match point in the seventh game but Martinez then served for the match and sealed victory.