Sun, Jul 23, 2006 page22

• US three through to RCA semis

  LONG TIME COMING Homegrown talent made up three out of the four semi-finalists for the first time in 14 years, dispelling gossip that US tennis is on the decline

  • AP
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  Three Americans are in the semi-finals of the RCA Championships for the first time since 1992.

  Top-seeded James Blake, second-seeded Andy Roddick and defending champion Robby Ginepri all advanced with straight-sets victories on Friday. Ninth-seeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium, who will play Blake in Saturday's semi-finals, also won his quarter-final in two sets.

  Blake, who is a career-high sixth in the ATP rankings, had the biggest challenge. He won two tiebreakers to get past 10th-seeded Nicolas Mahut of France 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).

  

  James Blake of the US serves to Nicolas Mahut of France during their quarter-final match at the RCA Championships in Indianapolis, on Friday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Mahut, ranked No. 70, won the first two points of the second tiebreaker. Blake took the next two points and went on to win the match when his 31st winner hit the backcourt line.

  "I can't think of any better ending than that one, anything could happen if I miss that," Blake said. "At 5-6, I knew he was going to go to my backhand, because my forehand return is better."

  The last time three Americans were in the semifinals here it was Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Todd Martin.

  

  Andy Roddick of the US returns a shot to Gilles Muller of Luxembourg during the RCA Championships at the Indianapolis Tennis Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Friday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  "That brings a big smile to my face. That's pretty good company to be in. ... They keep saying US tennis is down, but we had someone in the finals of every event of last year's US Open Series and now we're on the way to doing it again," Blake said.

  Roddick defeated 12th-seeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-3. Fourth-seeded Ginepri cruised past No. 8 Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-1. Ginepri also beat Paradorn en route to winning the tournament last year.

  Malisse advanced with an upset of third-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 7-6 (4), 6-4.

  Roddick, the 2003 and 2004 champion here, had 19 winners and five unforced errors to avenge his upset loss to Muller in the first round of the US Open last year.

  "He broke my heart last year," Roddick said.

  The former world No. 1 credited Jimmy Connors with helping him prepare for the tournament.

  "I feel like I played some good stuff here this week," Roddick said. "Jimmy knows so much about the game. I'm appreciative that he would give me some of his time. It was really good of him."

  Roddick, who had the fastest serve of the tournament so far at 233kph, lost six points on his serve. Three of them came on the opening three points of his first service. Roddick then held by winning five consecutive points.

  "With the exception of that first service game, I felt I was in every game. I didn't miss a lot of returns. I felt it was a solid effort," he said.

  The victory gave Roddick a 15-1 record at Indianapolis. His only loss here was to Ginepri in last year's quarter-finals.

  Ginepri lost seven points on his eight service games against Paradorn and was hoping his trip to Indianapolis turns around a season in which he has lost in the first round of 14 tournaments.

  Ginepri said he was surprised by the ease of his victory.

  "I don't know if he was sick or what," Ginepri said. "He definitely wasn't playing like he can."
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