NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Agassi claims Australian Open

World number one Andre Agassi beat defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the Australian Open men's singles final on Sunday to reinforce his status as the top male player in the world. With girlfriend Steffi Graf watching from the stands, Agassi served out the match with an ace in two hours and 19 minutes on Melbourne Park's center court.

After dropping the first set, Agassi staged a great fightback to add the Australian title to the French and U.S. crowns he won last year.

Agassi and Kafelnikov suffered an anxious moment at the start of the fourth set when a man who appeared to be dressed as a duck ran on to the court. The man, whose face was covered by a mask, was taken quickly from the court by two security guards.

World number two Kafelnikov broke Agassi twice early in the first set, the lanky Russian completely overpowering his opponent and clubbing forehand winners almost at will.

But Agassi gradually fought his way back into an absorbing final by drawing Kafelnikov into longer rallies and concentrating on his backhand.

He turned the match with a crucial break of serve in the eighth game of the second set and then reinforced his advantage by breaking a tiring Kafelnikov's serve in the first and third games of the third set.

The 29-year-old Las Vegan who won in Melbourne in 1995, became the first player to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals since the great Rod Laver in 1969.

Agencies