Boetsch Is Beaten by Hot Agassi

Wearing a five o’clock shadow and a sweat-soaked button shirt, Andre Agassi needed only 85 minutes Friday to beat Frenchman Arnaud Boetsch, 6-4, 6-3, in the semifinals of the Lipton Championships.

Agassi’s opponent Sunday will be the winner of Friday night’s Pete Sampras-Goran Ivanisevic match.

Chanda Rubin, a 20-year-old from Louisiana seeking her first WTA Tour title, will play four-time Lipton champion Steffi Graf in the women’s final today.

Despite some ragged moments, Agassi kept his cool on an 85-degree afternoon against Boetsch. The hard court soaked up the Florida sun and made it seem much hotter.

“It reminded me a lot of last summer,” Agassi said. “Somewhere between 125 and 130 [degrees] on court--it felt that way. My shoes started to melt a little bit.”

Agassi cooled off during changeovers by applying an ice towel to his balding head.

“I can’t think of many better feelings,” he said.

Lipton’s defending champion is seeking his first ATP Tour title since August. Agassi began to shake the slump after losing his opening match at Memphis last month to Luke Jensen, the doubles specialist ranked 419th.

“It’s nice just to be in the finals, playing my tennis again,” said Agassi, who was seeded No. 3. “I really feel like I’m hitting the ball clean. I’m going for my shots with a lot of confidence, a lot more than I’ve had certainly this year.”

Boetsch, who became the first Frenchman to reach the Lipton semifinals since Yannick Noah in 1989, earned $93,500.