Aggassi, Roddick eliminated

WASHINGTON -- Andre Agassi doesn't let leads like this get away very often.

Up one set and a break in the second set to Fernando Gonzalez, Agassi's advantage slipped away Saturday night in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) loss in the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

The fourth-seeded Gonzalez will play No. 10 Tim Henman, who also rallied from a set down and beat No. 2 Andy Roddick 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) to reach his first final of the year.

Having battled James Blake through three sets on Friday, Agassi, now 21-2 on hard courts this year, failed to put away a match at a tournament he's won five times in the 15 years he's entered.

The two traded huge groundstrokes the entire match. But it was one of Gonzalez's softest shots of the night -- a forehand he pushed wide -- that gave Agassi his only break point of the first set. Gonzalez provided more charity by double-faulting on the next point, giving Agassi a 5-3 lead.

Agassi appeared more workmanlike as he broke Gonzalez in the opening game of the second set, despite a pair of forehands up the line from Gonzalez, to fight off two earlier break points.

With Agassi having already timed the pace, Gonzalez began to unleash a series of drop shots and slices that threw off the eight-time Grand Slam winner enough to get the second set even at 2-2.

"I had the match under my control and the game he broke back in the second set he played three drop shots, two of which were off second serves," Agassi said. "I'd hate to go to sleep counting on that shot, but that being said he played them really well."

Gonzalez returned a forehand that clipped the tape and just landed in to give him a break and the second set.