Ginepri, an unsung American, advances to semifinal round

The unseeded player won his third straight five-set decision against a seeded player.

NEW YORK -- Robby Ginepri, an unsung, unseeded American, accepted the gift of Guillermo Coria's 13th and 14th double-faults on the last two points of their U.S. Open match to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time.

Ginepri, a 22-year-old who had never gone beyond the third round of the Open, won his third straight five-setter against a seeded player, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, Wednesday and guaranteed that an American will play in the final.

Ginepri's opponent in the semifinal Saturday will be the winner of the Andre Agassi-James Blake night match.

"The last three matches took so much out of me, I'm just dead right now," Ginepri told the crowd. "I don't know how I got through that match.

"I don't know what's going on right now. I'm a little foggy, a little dizzy. It's crazy. Crazy!"

Mary Pierce, the 2000 French Open and 1995 Australian winner, advanced to her first U.S. Open semifinals, beating fellow Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo 6-4, 6-1. Pierce, seeded 12th, will play Friday against Elaina Dementiava, who defeated Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (6).

"It's amazing," said Pierce, who reached the French Open final in June. "I'm 30, 17th year on the tour, and there's still firsts for me. That's pretty exciting."

Ginepri's victory over the No. 8 Coria, the Argentine who was a French Open finalist last year, took just over 3 hours and ended with a dramatic series of six match points.

Coria overcame three match points after a double-fault to love-40 in the 10th game of the final set as the two players, each wearing white caps backward, engaged in long rallies.

Coria was involved in a tempest with Nicolas Massu in his previous match, but against Ginepri there was nothing but respect. On one point earlier in the fifth set, the players gave each other a high-five at the net when they combined for a particularly thrilling point -- a beautifully angled drop shot by Coria, a full-court running scoop by Ginepri feathered barely over the net, and a putaway backhand half-volley winner by Coria.

Now trailing 4-5, Coria saved the second match point with a backhand, and the third with a brazen overhead from the baseline that skipped off the top of the net cord. He held to 5-5 after one more long rally.

After serving his ninth ace at 124 mph to hold for a 6-5 lead in the fifth set, Ginepri jumped out to his fourth match point at 30-40 on Coria's serve when the wearying Argentine slapped a forehand just wide. Coria saved the point with a forehand that Ginepri stretched to reach but netted.

Three points later, Coria mishit a backhand wide to give Ginepri a fifth match point. Coria saved that with a surprising serve and volley. That was all Coria had left. He double-faulted to set up the sixth match point and double-faulted again to lose.