Kuerten Is One to Beat

There are two Spaniards and a Frenchman in the final four of the French Open, same as in 1998, but that’s where the similarities end, because the fourth semifinalist is two-time champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil.

Kuerten, seeded No. 1 and the defending champion, has a rematch of his semifinal last year against No. 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain. Then, Ferrero was up a service break in the fourth set against an ailing Kuerten before losing in five. More recently, Ferrero beat Kuerten in the Italian Open in five sets last month.

The second semifinal features the local hope, No. 10 Sebastien Grosjean of France, against No. 13 Alex Corretja of Spain. Corretja became a symbol of class and coolness when he lost in the 1998 final to Carlos Moya, going to the other side of the court to congratulate his countryman.

That will be long forgotten, of course, when a French player is across the net today. Andre Agassi, a beloved figure, found that out when he watched most of his support disappear when he lost to Grosjean in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Among the final four, Ferrero has been the most dominating, losing only one set in five matches. Corretja has dropped two sets, both in the opening round, but has not faced a seeded player yet.

Grosjean is the first player to beat Agassi in a Grand Slam event this year, and this will be his second consecutive Slam semifinal. He also reached the final four in Australia in January, losing to countryman Arnaud Clement.

“The fact you realize that you are able to play in the semifinals in a Grand Slam tournament is of major importance,” he said. “The first time it made me confident, and the second time, it confirmed this feeling.”

Apparently his father won’t be among the fans at Roland Garros.

“No, I’m afraid he might have a heart attack,” Grosjean said. “He’s very tense and stressed. I certainly don’t want him to come. I don’t think he will even watch on TV.”