Tennis: Clement wins five-set thriller to reach final

MELBOURNE - Arnaud Clement has saved two match points to claw his way back from two sets down and beat his fellow Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 5-7 2-6 7-6 7-5 6-2 in the Australian Open semifinals.

Fifteenth seed Clement will meet Andre Agassi in Sunday's men's singles final after the defending champion beat Pat Rafter in five sets on Thursday.

Grosjean looked to be heading towards his first grand slam final when he stretched into a two-sets-to-love lead and broke his close friend and doubles partner Clement at the start of the third set.

But the 16th seed failed to convert a match point at 5-3 on Clement's serve then missed another when he served for the match at 5-4 to lose the set in a tiebreak as Clement stormed back.

Clement won the fourth to square the match at two sets all then sealed victory in the fifth after a match lasting more than four hours.

Clement's victory makes him the first Frenchman to reach an Australian Open final since Jean Borotra, one of the legendary Musketeers of French tennis, won in 1928.