Agassi Beats Rafter to Reach Oz Final

M E L B O U R N E, Jan. 25 -- Defending champion AndreAgassi beat a crippled Pat Rafter in five sets today toreach the Australian Open final for the third time.

Agassi sealed a 7-5 2-6 6-7 6-2 6-3 victory in just overthree hours after the Australian's legs cramped up so badly thathe could hardly run.

Rafter had led by two sets to one even though his legs hadstarted to seize up early in the third set, but won just fourmore games as his muscles tightened more in the last two.

Getting Physical

"I think physically it got to him in the end," Agassi said.

"When it boils down to fitness, that's part of it so I feltlike to some degree I earned that advantage at the end."

Rafter, bidding to become the first local player since PatCash in 1998 to make the men's singles final, needed treatmentafter the fourth set but bravely played on even though he was inobvious discomfort.

The sixth seeded Agassi will play the winner of Friday'ssecond semifinal between Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and SebastienGrosjean in Sunday's final.

The match had been in the balance before Rafter's right legstarted cramping.

The 28-year-old Australian had begun strongly, sending downfour aces in his first service game, but the Agassi took theopening set when he claimed the first break of serve in the 11thgame after Rafter pushed a backhand long.

Rafter Battles Back

Rafter, a dual U.S. Open champion, fought back to take thesecond set 6-2. He got the first break in the fourth game whenAgassi double-faulted then again in the eighth game when helunged to send a forehand winner cross court.

The Australian serve-and-volleyer blasted three aces pastAgassi in the 11th game of the third set, taking his total forthe match to 19, before taking the tiebreak.

Rafter beat Agassi in a thrilling five-setter in last year'sWimbledon semifinals but it quickly became clear that he was introuble this time as he struggled to run.

With Rafter unable to move freely, Agassi had no problemsholding serve and broke twice to win the fourth set and oncemore in the fifth to reach his 12th grand slam final.