DECEMBER 2000 SPORT HEADLINES

Thursday, January 25, 2001 - Web posted at 9:12:42 AM GMT

Young musketeers guarantee France first final place in 63 years

MELBOURNE - Arnaud Clement stunned Yevgeny Kafelnikov to set up an all-French semi-final against his best friend on the tennis tour, Sebastien Grosjean.

Clement, perhaps the quickest player on the circuit, scurried like a demon all night to frustrate the Russian fifth seed who won here in 1999 and was runner-up to Andre Agassi last year.

After wrapping up a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) victory, the 23-year-old celebrated by ripping off shirt, shoes and socks and tossing them to a crowd that had willed him on to victory.

His triumph, hours after Grosjean had swept past former world number one Carlos Moya, ensures France will have a man in Sunday's final for the first time since the legendary musketeer Jean Borotra lifted the trophy in 1928.

It will also be the first time that two Frenchman have reached a Grand Slam semi-final since Yannick Noah beat Christophe Roger-Vasselin on his way to the French Open title in 1983."

"I can't believe it," said Clement.

"Kafelnikov was better than me today but I just fight, fight all the way."

""To be playing in the semi-final with Sebastien is unbelievable.

We grew up together in tennis.

He's one of my best friends on the tour and now one of us is going to play a final."

"Whichever of the two Frenchmen wins tomorrow's clash will face either Andre Agassi or local hero Pat Rafter in Sunday's final.

Agassi and Rafter's go head to head here today.

Grosjean, who was seeded one place below Clement at 16, will probably start the second semi-final as a marginal favourite after the way he ended the run of former world number one Moya.

The Florida-based player was in dazzling form as he romped to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win in one hour 38 minutes.

It was a remarkable achievement for a player who, as a 15-year-old, was deemed too small by the French Tennis Federation to have any chance of making it to the top."

"Today I played my best tennis.

I don't know if I can play better because in the first set I didn't miss a shot and hit many winners," he said."

"I am going to try to keep this level in the semi-final, and maybe the final."

"Moya was greatly impressed with Grosjean's touch and said if he could maintain yesterday's form he had a good chance of winning the title."

"From the start he was playing great and it seemed like he had no pressure on him at all," Moya said."

"Maybe he was not expecting to win that easy.

He was ahead all the time and he won the first set pretty easy.

It's a big advantage for him."

"Moya said that Grosjean had worked out his tactics very well."

"He changed the rhythm very well.

He hit winners, he went to the net and he was simply too much for me."

" - Nampa-Sapa-AFP

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