NEW YORK -- Todd Martin and Cedric Pioline, two of the best players this decade never to win a Grand Slam title, took a step toward changing that Thursday when they set up a clash in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Martin served 22 aces at up to 127 mph in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over inspired Slava Dosedel of the Czech Republic, a 29-year-old journeyman ranked No. 95 who played superbly in defeat.

	Cedric Pioline is the only unseeded men's or women's singles player to reach the 1999 U.S. Open semifinals.

Martin also reached the semis at Wimbledon in 1994, the same year he was runnerup in the Australian Open and a semifinalist in the U.S. Open.

Pioline, twice a Grand Slam finalist but never a champion, continued his reign as king of the tiebreaker with a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (16-14), 7-6 (10-8) victory over 1997 French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten.

The 30-year-old Pioline reached the finals of the U.S. Open in 1993 and Wimbledon in 1997, only to lose both times to Pete Sampras.

"He played probably the best tennis I've ever seen from him today," Martin said of Pioline. "That was a great match. Hopefully we'll have a good old men's battle.

"He's probably the prettiest player to watch on the tour, and I'm at the other end of the spectrum. He has athleticism, big loopy strokes, and he's French. I'm athletic in my own special way, but nowhere near to the extent that he is."

The other semifinal Saturday will pit second-seeded Andre Agassi, who also is 29, against No. 3 Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who is the youngest of the remaining men at 25.

"It shows me that Kafelnikov is a little out of place," Martin quipped. "Listen, if the older body is fit and healthy, I think it makes sense that there can be success at this age, because I think experience and knowledge and maybe a little bit more perspective than some of the other guys might actually help."

Martin had trouble moving quickly against Dosedel two nights after winning an exhausting five-setter against No. 9 Greg Rusedski.

"Today when I practiced, I don't think I could have felt any worse," Martin said. "I told Todd (Snyder), the trainer, I didn't know how I was going to play. The wind helped me. We didn't play too many long points.

"The good news is I didn't deplete myself as I did the other night. I'm assuming I'll be in better shape come Saturday."

Martin did have to earn virtually all the points against Dosedel, who made only 16 errors with an all-court style that was good enough to take him to his best Grand Slam finish.

"Big surprise," Dosedel said of his run in the tournament. "To come in here and play on hard courts when I usually play on clay, I didn't expect to do so well here. It's the best feeling."

Pioline broke Kuerten's serve once in their match, which lasted nearly ½ hours, but was able to force three tiebreakers, a shootout in which Pioline has been perfect this tournament.

Except for the extra points at the end of each set, it was an evenly played match between the hard-serving Frenchman and the gallant, animated Brazilian, who has a Grand Slam tournament title in his resume, that coming in the French Open in 1997.

Six times Pioline has played a tiebreaker here and each time wound up with the two-point advantage.

"I'm trying to be aggressive," Pioline said. "If you stay back in a tiebreak, you give an opportunity to the other" player.

The tiebreakers highlighted what was one of the better matches in the final Grand Slam event of the year. Time and again, the two traded what appeared to be winning shots, only to see the other come up with a better reply.

On one such exchange -- the 19th point of the fourth-set tiebreaker -- Kuerten hit what he thought was a winner deep into the corner. Pioline, sprinting across the baseline, responded with a forehand down the line that whipped past the surprised Kuerten.

Pioline, who stumbled and fell while hitting the winner, rolled onto his back and pumped his arms in victory. Kuerten, equally impressed, dropped his racket, raised his arms in triumph for his opponent, then walked to Pioline's side of the net to congratulate the Frenchman. As his made his way back to his side of the court, Kuerten continued to applaud the shot.

"It was a great point," the fifth-seeded Kuerten said. "I think maybe the best point from the match. ... I couldn't believe it. It was great. I play well that point; he play better than me. So I congratulate him. It was an amazing shot."

Pioline continually came up with just enough winners -- 79, to 61 for Kuerten -- to grab a spot in the Open semifinals for the first time since 1993, when he lost to Pete Sampras. Pioline also fell to Sampras in the final at Wimbledon two years ago.

This year, Sampras pulled out of the tournament with a bad back.

In the first title to be decided in this year's Open, Ai Sugiyama of Japan and Mahesh Bhupathi of India won the mixed doubles, defeating Americans Kimberly Po and Donald Johnson 6-4, 6-4.

Bhupathi has a chance to win another title. He and partner Leander Paes are in Friday's men's doubles final against Sebastien Lareau and Alex O'Brien.