TENNIS Agassi earns matchup with Australian rival

The 33-year-old outlasted David Nalbandian in three sets on Thursday.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Andre Agassi came to the Tennis Masters Cup with two aims: get in some work after a two-month break and evaluate his game heading to 2004.
Now he just might win the whole thing.
After playing three riveting round-robin matches that went three sets, the 33-year-old Agassi is in the semifinals, awaiting a matchup with the man he beat in the Australian Open final, Rainer Schuettler.
Agassi qualified for the final four by outlasting No. 8 David Nalbandian 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-4 Thursday night.
Not too shabby for a guy who's 33 -- Schuettler, 27, is the next oldest entrant -- and who hadn't played since Sept. 6 before arriving in Houston.
"It feels great to get in a number of tough matches, because that's what I was really looking for here -- to settle into my game and at least feel like I'm competitive out there," Agassi said.
He's the oldest semifinalist at the tour's season-ending championship since Arthur Ashe at 35 in 1978.
Good matchup
The other semifinal will be Wimbledon champion Roger Federer against No. 1 Andy Roddick or No. 4 Guillermo Coria, both 1-1 heading into their match tonight.
Nalbandian, a point from winning the first set against Agassi four times, got into an extended argument with chair umpire Enric Molina over line calls he thought went against him unfairly.
Later, the Argentine complained about the officiating -- "They can do a better job," he said -- and tournament chairman Jim McIngvale's rooting for Agassi in the stands.
"It's a lack of respect toward the players," said Nalbandian.
The tie-breaker provided great tennis and theater, with the first of Agassi's four set points arriving at 6-5 when Molina overruled a line judge's out call on the American's backhand. Nalbandian saved that, but later was angered by what he thought was a bad call on his match point at 8-7.
Nalbandian then eliminated Agassi's next two set points with aces (one on a second serve at 9-8). But at 10-10, Nalbandian put a running forehand into the net, then double-faulted to cede the set.
After Nalbandian won the second set with a 15-2 edge in winners, the third set provided more drama. Agassi broke en route to a 4-1 lead, then was broken while serving for the match at 5-3. He broke right back to end it, though. Nalbandian put two straight backhands into the net, then double-faulted to match point. Agassi closed the match with a forehand volley, making him 21-for-30 on trips to the net.