New York: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi dethroned defending champion Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (1/7), 6-2 to book an all-American dream US Open final against fellow tennis legend Pete Sampras.

By ousting the Wimbledon champion and world number one from Australia, sixth seed Agassi on Saturday set the stage for an epic championship match here on Sunday against Sampras, their fifth meeting in a Grand Slam final.

"This is New York baby. Where else would you rather be?" Agassi said. "This is it. I worked all year thinking about tomorrow. We're both here again and it's going to be a blast."

Sampras, in a title drought that has reached 33 events over more than two years, advanced to his third consecutive US Open final by defeating Dutch 24th seed Sjeng Schalken 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

"It will be a huge moment for us, for the game," Sampras said. "Two older players, two rivals over the years. He brings out the best in me. To walk out there with him will be very unique, very special."

Agassi, 32, and Sampras, 31, have the third-highest combined ages of any Grand Slam final. The mark was set at the 1972 Australian Open when a 37-year-old Ken Rosewall defeated 36-year-old Mal Anderson.

Sampras has a 19-14 lead over Agassi in the greatest men's tennis rivalry of the 1990s. Sampras beat Agassi in the 1990 and 1995 US Open finals and 1999 Wimbledon final while Agassi topped Sampras for the 1995 Australian Open title.

If Agassi wins his third US Open title, he will become the second-oldest US Open champion in the Open Era after Rosewall, who was 35 when he won the 1970 crown.

Sampras, a four-time US Open champion, will bid for his 14th Grand Slam title. Sampras has not won a title since capturing his record 13th Grand Slam crown in 2000 at Wimbledon to break Roy Emerson's career record.

By reaching his eighth US Open final, Sampras matched the Open Era record over Ivan Lendl. Agassi qualified for his fifth US Open final.

Sampras was runner-up here the past two years, losing to Russia's Marat Safin in 2000 and Hewitt last year. Sampras is the first man to reach the US Open final three years in a row since Ivan Lendl in 1989.

Sampras, outside the top 16 here for the first time since 1989, fired 23 aces past Schalken with 13 double faults and hit 68 winners to only 22 for the Dutchman, who fell to 0-5 against Sampras.

"He was serving so good I could not get them on my racket," Schalken said. "He was placing the ball so good with 120 mph serves. I couldn't touch the ball. I was under pressure the whole match."

Hewitt failed in his bid to become the first man since Sampras in 1995 to win Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back and the first US Open winner to defend since compatriot Patrick Rafter in 1998. No top seed has won here since Sampras in 1996.

Agassi rose to 3-4 against Hewitt, snapping a three-match losing streak in their first Slam meeting.

Agassi landed a backhand drop volley winner to break Hewitt for a 3-2 lead in the fourth set, but Hewitt forced a break point in the next game.

Agassi won the next 10 points, saving the break when Hewitt sent a forehand long, then breaking the Aussie at love and reaching triple match point with his seventh and final ace of the match.

One minute shy of three hours, Agassi finished it with a forehand winner that Hewitt could only backhand into the net in desperation.

Hewitt recovered from being a break down in the third set, breaking Agassi twice for a 6-5 lead. Agassi broke back, zipping a crosscourt forehand winner to force a tiebreaker, but Hewitt dominated and battled into the fourth set.

Hewitt won the first seven points of the second set and grabbed a 2-0 lead when Agassi sent a forehand just long on the third break-point chance. But Agassi broke back at love, levelling at 2-2 when Hewitt hit a forehand wide.

Hewitt broke Agassi for a 5-3 lead and served for the set, but gave back the break on his sixth double fault. Agassi then held and broke at love to 6-5, but double faulted on his first set point and netted a forehand to force a tiebreaker.

At 5-5 in the tiebreaker Hewitt sent a backhand long and netted a forehand to give Agassi the set.

Hewitt fired a forehand winner past Agassi to break at love in the second game of the match on his way to a 3-0 lead, but Agassi roared back to win six of the next seven games.

Agencies