Agassi Set for Rematch With Courier

Although the score will indicate that Andre Agassi won Wednesday in straight sets at the French Open, his edge over quarterfinal opponent Pete Sampras might have been as slim as two points.

Winning a first-set tiebreaker with an overhead that hit the net and landed uncontested, Agassi reached the semifinals at Roland Garros Stadium for the fourth year in a row with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Agassi will face Jim Courier in Friday’s semifinals in a match featuring graduates of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.

Agassi boasts that the match is probably for the championship. “You can’t underestimate anybody in the lower half (of the draw),” Agassi said. “They are all playing well . . . but I think the final is the next round.”

After losing his first set of the tournament Tuesday, the top-ranked Courier beat Croatian Goran Ivanisevic, 6-2, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5, Wednesday in a match that was suspended because of darkness the previous day.

In the other semifinal, French hero Henri Leconte came from two sets down against unseeded Swede Niklas Kulti for a 6-7 (10-8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory. Leconte will meet the winner of today’s quarterfinal match between Czechoslovakia’s Petr Korda and Andrei Cherkasov of the Commonweath of Independent States.

The Agassi-Courier showdown is a revival of last year’s final, won by Courier in five sets. Agassi, who reached his fourth French Open semifinal, also lost in the 1990 final to Andres Gomez.

The chances of finally breaking through in a Grand Slam tournament appear to be good for Agassi, who dominated Sampras with unexpected ease after the dramatic first set.

The first set was played in contrasting styles--Sampras’ booming serve against Agassi’s fast-paced counterattack. Not surprisingly, the two Americans went to a tiebreaker.

After Agassi took a 4-0 lead, the steady Sampras hit a cross-court winner and added two more points to close to within 4-3. By the time Sampras tied the score, 6-6, some wondered whether either player could win two points in a row.

Then they got into a baseline rally with beautiful shots. Sampras, who said before the match that he did not want to trade ground strokes with Agassi, was flawless. But Agassi continually moved him until Sampras hit a tough forehand wide.

He was not through, however. After serving, Sampras appeared to tie the score when Agassi hit an overhead that nicked the net and bounced on Sampras’ side.

Agassi looked up and apologized for the fluke shot. Sampras did not hear him. He was staring at the ground, already deflated.

“He got a little bit of luck,” Sampras said. “That is what it took, and he got it today.”

One set does not make a match. But Sampras had little to give for the rest of the match. He described his serve as mediocre, and he cannot expect to win on clay unless he is hitting his 120-m.p.h. serves in.

“I was serving in streaks,” he said.

Part of the problem was the dank day on Center Court. The match was delayed 33 minutes in the third set because of rain. Sampras said the wet balls caused the strings of his racquet to break.

And as his strings broke, so did his service game. Still, Sampras was astute enough to realize that part of his problems were caused by Agassi, the Las Vegan who enjoys the bright lights of a big match.

Agassi, 22, is a tough competitor when he takes the initiative. And he seized it after the tiebreaker.

“With Pete, one error can make a difference,” Agassi said. “I think he got a little discouraged.”

Agassi’s serve proved to be more effective than Sampras’, and the third-seeded player could do little but hit ground strokes into the net and think about his chances on the grass at Wimbledon.

Courier, from Dade City, Fla., had his first difficult match. But he is so mentally sound that he remained stone-faced. Leading 2-1 before darkness forced the overnight delay, Courier started slowly against the Ivanisevic.

By the time he started attacking with a fierce forehand, Courier trailed in the fourth set, 4-1. Courier wanted to relax, so he took some deep breaths.

Was he meditating?

“Just kind of relaxing,” he said. “Is that meditating?”

Ivanisevic said he felt sluggish in the fourth set, although he gained the three-game lead. When Courier started serving better, Ivanisevic lost his concentration and cracked.

In the most exciting quarterfinal of the day, Leconte continued his advance toward the final. Down by two sets to Kulti, Leconte began hitting winners and won before a raucous Center Court crowd of 16,500. The 3-hour 37-minute match continued into the twilight as Leconte destroyed the Swede’s confidence.

Kulti advanced by defeating John McEnroe in the first round and Michael Chang in the third, but he could not overcome the screaming fans and Leconte’s spirited performance.

Tied in the fifth set, 3-3, Kulti seemed to rebound from a two-set lapse until he flubbed an easy forehand, and dropped his serve. His coach, Martin Bohm, said that Kulti’s biggest problem has been mental toughness. It showed most when he needed it.

After dropping the serve, he all but gave in to the pressing crowd and Leconte.

Tennis Notes

Goran Ivanisevic said Jim Courier and Andre Agassi are about even, but he gives Courier a slight edge. . . . Pete Sampras, when pressed, also thinks Courier has a slight advantage. . . . By winning, Henri Leconte reached his third French Open semifinal. He lost the 1988 final to Mats Wilander, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. He lost the 1986 semifinal to Mikael Pernfors, a Swede who has since not done as well in a Grand Slam event. Leconte, ranked No. 200, is not the lowest-ranked semifinalist in the Open era. Bob Giltinan, No. 354, reached the 1977 Australian Open semifinals, where he lost to John Lloyd. Leconte is 7-0 in five-set matches at Roland Garros.