Agassi's number one spot safe

Andre Agassi is certain to go to the US Open the week after next as the world number one – just when it seemed odds on that he would be overtaken.

Both Roger Federer, the Wimbledon champion, and Juan Carlos Ferrero, the French Open champion, were surprisingly beaten when one of the biggest accolades of their careers was within sight.

The second-seeded Ferrero, who could have reached the pinnacle if he had won the tournament, was within two points of victory before losing 6-7 7-6 6-4 to Gaston Gaudio of Argentina in the second round of the Masters Series in Cincinnati.

The third-seeded Federer needed to reach only the semi-finals to make number one, but was beaten 7-6 7-6 at the same stage by one of his jinx players, David Nalbandian, another Argentine.

The 22-year-old Swiss player looked cross after his defeat. “But I was not thinking about the world number one spot,” he claimed.

“The road to the semi-finals was too long for that. I said in Montreal (last week) that my goal was not to be number one this week, next week, or after the US Open. I’m just going to try to be number one one time, you know.

“You guys are making calculations and getting them wrong. That’s why I don’t care what you calculate.

“I will just try to win as many matches as I can and win tournaments and then hopefully become number one. But I’m not going to push it,” added Federer, referring to the fact that he was originally told he had to get past only the first round to become number one.

Federer has yet to beat Nalbandian in four attempts and was soon in difficulties against the topspin backhands and hard flat forehands of last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, having to save three break points in the fifth game.

Nalbandian then broke twice to lead 4-3 and 6-5, only for Federer to break back on each occasion.

But he played an indifferent tie-break, delivering a moderate second serve which Nalbandian punished to reach 3-1 and a counter-hitting forehand into the net to go a second mini-break down at 3-6.

The second set saw Federer make a fine fightback from 2-5, but he played even worse in the tie-break this time, delivering two successive double faults to go 0-3 down.

Although he somehow clawed back to 5-6 Nalbandian finished it with a typically potent forehand drive. It earned a meeting with his compatriot Juan Ignacio Chela, who beat the 13th-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzales.

“I didn’t play well,” said Federer. “I was not happy with my game against Roger Draper and I was not happy with my game against Nalbandian.”

Ferrero’s failure came after he seemed to be working his way to victory in what may prove a preview of next month’s Davis Cup semi-final in Malaga.

He played well in the first two sets, his forehand was a threat and his court coverage remarkably quick in the 90-degree heat.

Though Ferrero relinquished his early break of serve he was on top in the first tie-breaker, twice returning Gaudio’s serve well and building on two mini-breaks to close it out 7-3.

He then broke back with nice timing for 5-5 in the second set, with every prospect of pushing through for victory.

Instead he had to save a break point against him in the next game and was unable to break down the fighting Gaudio’s resistance in the second tie-break.

The Argentine rallied tenaciously from the baseline, and achieved the only mini-break on the very last point, going for broke with a backhand return against Ferrero’s second serve and being rewarded with an unstoppable winner down the line.

Ferrero was not quite the same player in the third set and had to save break points in the fourth and sixth games, before once again being broken right at the end.

It again happened when the second seed failed to get his first serve in. Gaudio returned it with a solid cross court forehand, forcing Ferrero to deliver a forehand counter-hitting drive into the net.

He did not seem too disappointed afterwards. “I played well for two sets and at 5-4 in the second tie-break I had a chance to make a passing shot with my backhand and I didn’t,” he said.

“If I had hit that ball in I would have been at 6-4 and two match points and I think the match would have been mine,” added Ferrero, who admitted he grew a little tired in the third set.

“I have 10 days to get ready for the US Open and I am quite capable of winning big titles on hard courts.”