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Davenport beats Pierce in thriller

Defending champion Lindsay Davenport saved two match-points in the third set, then came back from a 70-minute rain delay to beat fifth-seeded Mary Pierce 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open.

Davenport will meet the winner of tonight's match between fourth-seeded Monica Seles and seventh seed Serena Williams in an all-American quarter-final.

Pierce was serving for the match in the 10th game of the third set after staging a brilliant comeback of her own at the National Tennis Centre.

Pierce led 2-6, 6-3, 5-4 and 40-30, but the second-seeded Davenport saved herself with a blistering backhand crosscourt shot that grazed the line.

The Frenchwoman nearly ended it again from deuce when she belted a crosscourt backhand of her own toward the open court.

Pierce began to celebrate, raising her right fist in the air, but the blast landed just beyond the line and Davenport eventually broke serve to level the match at 5-5 in the third set.

Play was then halted as a light drizzle began to fall. Pierce, the 1995 Australian Open champion, banged her racquet against the top of the net in frustration as she walked off to await a resumption of play.

Seventy minutes later, play resumed and Davenport immediately blasted two aces on her way to holding serve to lead 6-5.

Now Pierce was serving to stay alive and force a tie-breaker. The 12th game saw several extraordinary rallies with both players brushing the lines, while hitting with full-out power.

Three times Pierce held game points but each time the American pulled her back.

The exhilarating, two-hour-long match ended on a whimper, however, as Pierce committed her seventh double fault on Davenport's second match-point.

''It was pretty nerve wracking,'' said Davenport on the court after her victory. ''I can't remember a match so tough. To save two match-points to break her, I just can't believe it. It was so tough. It's great. I just played well when I had to.''

Kafelnikov faces Agassi in semi-finals
Third seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov survived a record 48-ace barrage and needed a fifth-set tie-break to hold off 12th seed Richard Krajicek and advance to a semi-final showdown with Andre Agassi at the U.S. Open.

The Russian, bidding for his second major title of the year after winning the Australian Open, had to win three tie-breaks to counter the Dutchman's devastating delivery and claim a 7-6(7-0), 7-6(7-4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-6(7-5) victory in three hours and 20 minutes yesterday.

''It's just one of those days that I was just fortunate enough to win,'' said the 25-year-old Russian after reaching the U.S. Open semis for the first time.

Next up for Kafelnikov is French Open champion Agassi in the showdown that will produce the prohibitive title favourite as well as the man who will replace injured Pete Sampras atop the world rankings.

''It's going to be one of the most important matches of my career,'' Kafelnikov said. ''It's going to be a big match to see who's going to finish No. 1 in the world.''

Agassi, the 1994 champion, completed his romp to a seventh career final four appearance at the Open with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over 136th-ranked Frenchman Nicolas Escude, the first qualifier ever to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals.

UNI