Special Invitee Among Final 4

Goran Ivanisevic is so much in sync with himself that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell one of his personalities from the other from the other. Good Goran was certainly predominant Wednesday. Bad Goran was visible only once, drawing a warning from the umpire for shouting a four-letter word. Emergency 911 Goran, a newly-born one who comes in to settle differences between the first two, apparently wasn’t required.

That’s because Ivanisevic, all of them, had an unexpectedly easy time disposing of reigning U.S. Open champion Marat Safin, 7-6 (2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), on Center Court in Wimbledon’s quarterfinals.

It has been a fanciful flight through the draw for Ivanisevic. A three-time finalist, he has suffered from a shoulder injury for the last two years, dropped to 125th in the world and, because he didn’t earn his way into Wimbledon, had to request a special invitation.

With his fourth-round victory over Britain’s Greg Rusedski, Ivanisevic became the first wild-card player in the quarterfinals since 1986 and, with his victory Wednesday, he is the first in the semifinals in history.

As he did after his third-round victory over young American Andy Roddick, Ivanisevic ripped off his shirt in celebration and tossed it into the crowd. He said that he wouldn’t do it again because his apparel manufacturer had supplied him only three shirts. But, with his Wimbledon success, he received a new supply before the quarterfinals.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “It’s like a great story. They gave me the wild card. I am in the semis. Who knows what can happen?”

Ivanisevic, 29, will join a couple of other veterans in Friday’s semifinals at the All England Club. Andre Agassi, 31, lost a set for the first time in the tournament but rebounded to defeat Nicolas Escude, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Pat Rafter, 28, eliminated Thomas Enqvist, 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Agassi versus Rafter is a rematch of semifinals in 1999 and 2000, Agassi having won the first and Rafter the second. Both lost in the final to Pete Sampras, who, going for his fifth consecutive title and eighth in nine years, lost in the fourth round to Roger Federer.

After Safin lost earlier Wednesday, Federer, 19, was the last of the emerging young players standing. But he lost on Center Court to Tim Henman, 7-5, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (6).

That match was watched by a raucous--by Wimbledon standards--crowd, live inside the stadium and on a giant-screen television viewable from an elevated grassy area that has been dubbed Henman Hill.

Henman, seeded sixth, is attempting to become the first Englishman since 1938 to reach the final. No Englishman has won since Fred Perry in 1936.

A popular local television morning show is lobbying Prime Minister Tony Blair, Parliament and Buckingham Palace to declare a national holiday Monday if Henman wins.

Henman, a semifinalist in 1998 and ‘99, gave the crowd a few anxious moments. He was blown away in the third set after winning the first two but still appeared to have the match under control, serving for the victory in the ninth game of the fourth set. But he lost that game, then fell behind, 5-2, in the tiebreaker.

At 5-4, Federer had a chance to serve out the set. But he lost both points to give Henman a match point. Federer saved that one, but not the next one he faced, on his own serve, and lost, 8-6.

Ivanisevic, whose quirky personality (personalities?) has only enhanced his role as crowd sentimental favorite, now must face the man known in England as Timbledon.

“That’s good for me,” insisted Ivanisevic, who faced a similar disadvantage against Rusedski. “There is going to be more pressure on him, you know, all England. He’s going to get nervous because he sees his chance.

“If the two Gorans are there and he beats me, then he is too good. But the way I play, it is going to be tough for everybody.”

Ivanisevic, who had 41 aces in four sets against Roddick, had only 30 against Safin but won points on an astounding 90% of his first serves despite swirling winds that made tosses fickle.

“How can you play against this guy?” Safin said. “I know how to play tennis, you know. But this guy, he just doesn’t give you any chances. If he has a second serve, he aces. All the time, you’re under pressure.

“The way he’s playing now, it’s like he’s back in the top 10, really close to one, two in the world.”

Ivanisevic, from Croatia, twice was ranked as high as fourth at year’s end. Those were in the years when he could routinely be expected to contend at Wimbledon. He reached the semifinals in 1990 and ’95 and the final in ‘92, ’94 and ’98.

“When I started my career, my sister was very sick,” he said of Srjdana, who had cancer. “I played for her because we didn’t have money. So the better I did, she can go to doctors and heal herself. Now everything is fine and she is great.

“Then the war came. I had motivation to play for my country, for the people who are fighting for my country. Then that was over too.

“What do I do now? I was trying to find somebody to play for, but I couldn’t. Then I said, ‘Man, after 12 years on the tour, I think you deserve to play for yourself a little bit, give yourself a little bit, you know, for all this hard work you did.’ So now it’s paying off.”

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Road to the Semifinals

A look at how Friday’s semifinalists got there:

Andre Agassi (2)

First round: def. Peter Wessels, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-4.

Second round: def. Jamie Delgado, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3.

Third round: def. Nicolas Massu, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.

Fourth round: def. Nicolas Kiefer (19), 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.

Quarterfinals: def. Nicolas Escude (24), 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Patrick Rafter (3)

First round: def. Daniel Vacek, 6-2, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Second round: def. Slava Dosedel, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Third round: def. Hicham Arazi (27), 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-5.

Fourth round: def. Mikhail Youzhny, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

Quarterfinals: def. Thomas Enqvist (10), 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Tim Henman (6)

First round : vs. Artem Derepasko, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

Second round: def. Martin Lee, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Third round: def. Sjeng Schalken (26), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Fourth round: def. Todd Martin (23), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Quarterfinals: def. Roger Federer (15), 7-5, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (6).

Goran Ivanisevic

First round: def. Fredrik Jonsson, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Second round: def. Carlos Moya (21), 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Third round: def. Andy Roddick, 7-6 (5), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Fourth round: def. Greg Rusedski, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4.

Quarterfinals: def. Marat Safin (4), 7-6 (2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3).

Agassi vs. Rafter 2000

A look back at last year’s Agassi-Rafter Wimbledon semifinal:

* What happened: Rafter, seeded 12th, was looking to avenge a straight-sets loss in the 1999 semifinals and trying to become the first Australian to reach the Wimbledon final since Pat Cash, who won the tournament in 1987. He did so with a thrilling 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory.

* Time of match: 3 hours 9 minutes.

* Statistics: Both players served effectively, getting 61% of their first serves in with Agassi’s winning percentage a tad better, 70-69%. Second-serve winning percentage was the same at 58%. Rafter had the edge in winners, including service, 56-52. Rafter won 161 points, Agassi 157.

* Quotable: “You don’t win Grand Slams by getting careful at those moments.” Agassi, who double-faulted, allowing Rafter to take a 4-2 lead in the fifth set.