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Sunday, 28 July, 2002, 03:35 GMT 04:35 UK
Gambill into final
American Jan-Michael Gambill keeps his eye on the ball
Gambill lost the final in 2000
Semi-final results

Jan-Michael Gambill reached his second Mercedes-Benz Cup final in three years with a straight sets victory over fourth seed Andy Roddick.

After losing to Michael Chang in 2000, Gambill is out to make amends and got the better of Roddick 7-5 6-3 to set up a meeting with Andre Agassi.

Agassi, the defending champion, beat Max Mirnyi of Belarus 6-4 6-2.

Gambill rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the first set, breaking Roddick in the 10th and 12th games and credited the change in momentum to a change in tactics.

"Sometimes I get a little bit bullheaded, and I just stand on the baseline and try to play it out," he admitted.

"Against Andy Roddick, you just can't do it, he's too good," Gambill said. "I backed up and tried to give it my all.

Frustration

"I came up with some good returns and was able to hit some balls deep to him.

Roddick's frustration peaked near the end of the first set, when he was broken for the second time.

He questioned an overrule on his first serve by the chair umpire, then hit a forehand wide and watched his second serve fly off his racket frame to lose the set.

Roddick came out on the losing end of several close calls while continuing to go for big shots with his powerful forehand.


Once I got the break I felt good
Andre Agassi

But Gambill broke him to love for the only break of the second set.

Agassi lost just one point on his serve in the second set against Mirnyi, the eighth seed.

He broke his opponent once in the first set to go 5-4 ahead and he served out the set to love.

"Against a guy like Max, you've got to get off to a lead," Agassi said.

"Once I got the break, it allowed me to free up a lot of my shots. I felt really good."

Agassi twice broke Mirnyi to love in the second set, when Mirnyi didn't win a point off Agassi's serve in four games.


Semi-final results:

  • Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) bt (4) Andy Roddick (USA) 7-5 6-3
  • (2) Andre Agassi (USA) bt (8) Max Mirnyi (USA) 6-4 6-2

  • All the tennis action taking place this week

    Mercedes Benz Cup

    Bank of West Classic

    Generali Open

    Idea Prokon Open

    TENNIS STATISTICS
    Links to more Tennis stories are at the foot of the page.


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