Los Angeles, Aug 2 (DPA) Two-time champion Tommy Haas missed a chance for a third Los Angeles Open final as he crashed out 6-3, 7-5 to sixth seeded American Sam Querrey Saturday.
Haas, the 2004 and 2006 champion at UCLA, was unable to take matters into a third set in the pair’s semi-final, with Querrey saving three break points in the final game to secure his victory.

The Californian will meet another “local” when he faces LA-born Australian qualifier Carsten Ball, who continued the tennis week of his life 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) over Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

Top seeded Haas, aged 31, stood 16-3 since May as his game exploded with a Halle grass title and a Wimbledon semi-final against Roger Federer.

But the German, confident with his own hardcourt game despite the loss, was less than pleased by the antics of Querrey’s “Samurai” cheer squad, a gang of his bare-chested mates who follow his matches in the US and cheer and jeer as they see fit.

“Those guys just showed they have no class,” said former number two Haas. “It’s now up to Sam to take control of the situation if he wants to. This was not the fifth set of a US Open.

“I’m still playing tennis for the big matches,” said Haas. “For my first summer hardcourt match, I’m pretty pleased. My goal is to peak for the US Open.”

Querrey said that recent work on the athletics track has helped his game - along with reaching three finals since Wimbledon in his last three events.

He is the first American since Andy Roddick in 2004 to achieve that feat.

“I’ve been playing a lot of matches recently,” said Querrey, holding a career-best 32nd ranking and a loser in title bids at Newport and Indianapolis in recent weeks.

“The more matches you win, the better the confidence. I’ve been doing a lot of running on the track, 200 (metres), 400 (meters), that is starting to pay off. It may also help that I’ve been feeling pretty hyper on court.”

Ball, ranked 205 with a ranking set to rise to around 120 should he win the title, is playing this week for the first time at the ATP level and could not be more pleased with his surprise showing.

“Just to get that far and play a final is a plus,” said the son of 1974 Australian Open doubles finalist Syd Ball. “Win or lose, playing in a final is what we all work for.”

“I’ll be pleased to go out there. I’m not thinking about the ranking points or the money,” said the player, who admitted he almost pulled out of the qualifying round after re-tweaking his back.

But making a daily two-hour commute from his parent’s home in Newport Beach, 80 kilometres south, Ball decided to take treatment at the tournament and try his luck.