Rafter Ready to Make Home Stand

Through Lleyton Hewitt-mania--is he a brat or isn’t he?--his good mate, Pat Rafter, navigated safely under the negativity radar. He spoke his mind about the youngster’s behavior but managed to offend no one.

If indeed this is Rafter’s last Australian Open, the ride off the court has been as mellow as the yellow shirt he wears on it. In this arena, his path into the semifinals has been anything but mellow, thrilling the champion-starved locals.

For all of Rafter’s success, two U.S. Open titles and a Wimbledon final, putting stirring victories together at home has proved more elusive. Before this year, he had reached the fourth round at the Australian Open only once, in 1995.

While Rafter made headlines by hinting at retirement, Hewitt seemed more likely to do well here, having won the lead-in event at Sydney. But Hewitt lost in the third round to a resurgent Carlos Moya of Spain, and the 12th-seeded Rafter kept moving through the draw, tightening his game in the third and fourth rounds, not losing a set.

Rafter’s biggest challenge came Tuesday against No. 14 Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia in the quarterfinals. Hrbaty, who had taken out second-seeded Marat Safin of Russia in the third round, lost the first set to Rafter, took the second and was up a break in the third.

Then, inexplicably, Rafter took 12 of the final 13 games, defeating Hrbaty, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-0, in two hours 31 minutes. It is the first time an Australian male has reached the semifinals of this event since 1996.

But the obstacle between Rafter and his first Australian Open final is the defending champion--Andre Agassi. They play tonight.

Agassi leads their series, 7-4, but Rafter won their last match, a classic five-setter in the Wimbledon semifinals.

“I consider him one of the best players of all time,” Rafter said. “You just hope you can go out there and stick with him, that I’ve got just as much chance of winning as he does. I’ll prove that.

“He’s the sort of guy who will play you straight off the courts. If his eye’s in, he’s one of the most dangerous guys. If his eye’s in, you don’t want to play anyone like that. I’ve played him a few times when his eye’s in, it’s not much fun.”

Translation: Eye’s in, borrowed from cricket, means someone is focused.

One of their 11 matches was here in the fourth round in 1995. Both players remember it well, with Agassi rattling off the score, though he had it slightly wrong. Agassi won it easily, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.

“It was just one of those nights I went to heaven here,” Agassi said.

The details stayed with Rafter too.

“I can just remember it was a real rock concert atmosphere,” Rafter said. “I’m sure they are going to pump it up [again] and the crowd are very excited at night. I don’t know if they got a bit of alcohol in them or not.

“They’re very fired up and it’s great to play under.”

Rafter was amused to spot Agassi’s coach, Brad Gilbert, scouting his match against Hrbaty. He spoke his mind about it.

“It’s a waste of time, if you ask me,” Rafter said, smiling. “If he doesn’t know my game by now, he never will.”

From anyone else, the words may have sounded harsh. But from a mate’s mate, well, no one ever takes offense.

*

The 16th-seeded Sebastien Grosjean of France, who had never gone past the third round here, reached the final four, beating Moya, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, in one hour 38 minutes in the quarterfinals.

Grosjean did not face a break point. His previous best Grand Slam performance was the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1998. In the semifinals, he will play either fifth-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia or No. 15 Arnaud Clement of France.