LOS ANGELES -- Andre Agassi disposed of Jan-Michael Gambill 6-2, 7-5 in the Mercedes-Benz Cup on Friday to set up a semifinal showdown with top-ranked Gustavo Kuerten.

A slow moving Pete Sampras didn't look nearly as sharp, needing five match points before getting by seventh-seeded Magnus Norman 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).

Kuerten, the top seed, breezed past eighth-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany 6-3, 6-3 in just under an hour for his 15th consecutive match victory.

Agassi, the third seed, and Kuerten will meet Saturday on the UCLA campus. While Kuerten is No. 1 based on his finish last year, Agassi leads the Brazilian in the ATP Champions Race, which determines the top-ranked player at year's end.

"I'd rather be playing him here than on clay," said Agassi, who won the Los Angeles tournament in 1998 and was second in 1999.

Playing his first tournament since a shocking loss in the fourth round at Wimbledon, Sampras struggled with his first serve, hitting just 49 percent. His seven aces were blunted by eight double faults.

"It's not the way I want to have to hold my service game, hitting a lot of second serves," he said. "I didn't have the rhythm. There's definitely room to improve."

Sampras, the fourth seed, saved two break points on his serve in the first and fifth games of the second set to take a 3-2 lead.

But Norman held serve to tie the set, prompting a frustrated Sampras to toss his racket at his chair.

Sampras frequently stretched out between points, but didn't specify what was affecting his movement.

"I had a few tight spots," he said. "It's something I've dealt with before and I've got to play through it."

Norman broke in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead and had a set point in the 10th game. The Swede led 40-30 before he mis-hit a forehand for deuce. Sampras hit a crosscourt forehand on the line and then Norman sent a forehand long to let Sampras tie the set 5-5.

Norman saved three match points on his serve in the 12th game to force the tiebreaker. Sampras never trailed in the breaker, but needed two more match points to close out the 1:49 match.

"It wasn't pretty," Sampras said. "I got a little bit fortunate to get back in the second set."

Sampras advanced to the other semifinal against Xavier Malisse of Belgium, who beat 20-year-old Taylor Dent of Newport Beach, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

"I know I have to play a lot better than tonight," Sampras said. "I feel like I'm hitting the ball pretty well. I feel it's a matter of time before I find my rhythm."

Agassi closed out his win over Gambill with an ace up the middle, one of the six he hit while committing no double faults.

"It was a good day, considering you're coming off a couple of night matches," Agassi said. "The court was a lot quicker. I moved well, hit my shots well and stayed in control."

Agassi improved to 7-2 lifetime against Gambill, who also lost to his idol here in 1998 and '99. He's beaten Gambill in straight sets each of their last four meetings.

"Nobody can just go out there and trade blows with him," said Gambill, who retired with a sprained ankle in last year's final against Michael Chang. "Andre knows how to play me very well. He ran me very well, not necessarily going for big shots."

Against Haas, Kuerten equaled his career-best winning streak that he set last year. He could overtake Agassi as the Champions Race leader with a victory in Sunday's final, which would be his ATP-best sixth singles title of the year.

"Maybe if I play like this every match, I'll be satisfied until the end of the season," he said.

Kuerten won 25 of 28 points off his first serve against Haas. He hasn't dropped a set in three matches this week.

"I'm not the favorite so much anymore," Kuerten said. "Everybody from now on has a 50 percent chance to win. Now it's easier to find motivation to get going harder because matches are more important. It was the best day for me this week."

Malisse, best known in the United States for being the former boyfriend of Jennifer Capriati, upset second-seeded Marat Safin in the second round.

"I have nothing to lose," Malisse said. "All the other guys are supposed to win."

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