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Agassi takes Mercedes Cup

Andre Agassi, in his prime, was famed for perhaps the best return of serve in the business.

On Sunday, that strength was very much in evidence as Agassi blunted Tim Henman's 130 mph-plus serves to take the Mercedes Cup 6-4, 6-4 at the UCLA tennis centre in Los Angeles.

This stretches his winning streak to 11, and he is yet to drop a set en route to his second straight title win, and his fourth in what is proving a good comeback year.

Agassi, who has been making a practise of finishing off his games fast, needed just 80 minutes to roll over Henman. The win gives him enough points to move into the number 11 spot on the ATP rankings ladder, up two places from 13.

Ironically, it happens at a venue where, last year, he lost in the first round to Gimelstob, the man he stopped in the semis this time. Following that defeat, Agassi slumped dramatically to number 141, the lowest ever ranking of his career.

"It's been a long road," said Agassi. "I've climbed 130 spots this year, and 11 more to go. I feel like I'm better than my ranking."

This was the first time Agassi was playing Henman, though the two were practise partners at Wimbledon. The Slam also was the last time Agassi lost -- going out in the second round.

"It wasn't quite high quality tennis," said Agassi, who collected $45,000 for the win. "He didn't play his best and I know I didn't. We were both feeling each other out early. Once I got the lead, I hit out a few more of my shots. I responded to some of his big shots well."

Agassi dropped serve just once, netting a backhand in the sixth game of the second set for a 3-3 tie.

But Henman double-faulted in the next game -- the second straight service game he lost on a double fault -- to fall behind 3-4. Agassi won the match serving a love game with a backhand passing shot down the line.

"I don't think I played my best tennis," said Henman, whose semifinal finish at Wimbledon made him a hero in Britain. "To beat someone like Andre, you've got to play to the high level of your game."

Henman had eight aces, but cancelled them with seven double faults. Although he connected on 77 percent of his first serves, Agassi often blasted returns to the corners or passed Henman at the net.

"I had him in trouble a couple of times and he came up with some big serves," Agassi said. "He was having to serve a high percentage of first serves with the way I was returning."

Agassi earned the only service break of the first set in the third game. Facing break point, Henman missed his first serve. Just before his second, a cell phone shattered the silence and Henman backed off in distraction.

He forced deuce with a backhand winner, but then sent a forehand wide and netted an overhead smash to lose the game.

"It's not the first time it happened," Henman said of the chirping phones. "It's not ideal, but it's going to happen wherever you play."

Agassi hasn't faced a single set point during his 11-match streak. He was even hotter earlier this year, winning 13 consecutive matches until losing to promising American Jan-Michael Gambill at Indian Wells in March.

"It's like letting something ride on the blackjack table," the Las Vegas native said. "If you let it ride, it gets bigger quicker."