Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Sebastien Grosjean will meet in the Masters Cup semi-finals on Saturday. In-form Frenchman Grosjean ended Agassi's bid to become the oldest man in history to finish the year as world number one with a 6-3 6-4 victory, while Kafelnikov beat Goran Ivanisevic by the identical score. Ivanisevic will face Juan Carlos Ferrero tomorrow in the round robin stage of the tournament to decide who faces US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt in the second semi.
Australian Open semi-finalist Grosjean has bounced back from his opening match defeat to Hewitt with wins against Pat Rafter yesterday and today's Agassi dismissal. Agassi was described as an "ageing American beefcake" by the Sydney Morning Herald after his defeat to Hewitt, and he again failed to impress. He finishes the season on 207 points - 67 behind current leader Gustavo Kuerten.
"I think, overall, it's been a great year for me," said Agassi, who won four tournaments in 2001, including the Australian Open. "I basically got what I deserved," added the former world number one.
Hewitt is already assured of a place in the semi-finals, and will leapfrog Brazilian Kuerten tomorrow if he beats Pat Rafter. Kuerten only has a slim chance of finishing as year-end world number one for successive season, because he will not be in the semi-finals.
Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Kuerten 7-6 (7-3) 6-2, while Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov won for the second time in the event with a 6-3 6-4 triumph over Croatia's Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic. If Hewitt wins tomorrow, Kuerten must beat Kafelnikov in his remaining round-robin match and hope that Hewitt loses his semi-final. "I think if Lleyton gets the number one, it will be well deserved," said Kuerten, adding, "He's been the player who is playing maybe the best tennis in the last two or three months."
Filed by Greg McKevitt
