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MELBOURNE - World No 1 Andre Agassi yesterday snared his second Australian Open tennis crown and his sixth Grand Slam title with victory over Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
The 29-year-old overcame a slow start before powering past the defending champion 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 in 2h 19m.
With girlfriend Steffi Graf watching, and
after bowing and blowing kisses to the crowd, Agassi added a victory jig as a dejected Kafelnikov watched on.
Agassi was playing in his fourth consecutive Grand Slam final after winning the French and US Opens in 1999 and being runner-up to Pete Sampras at Wimbledon. He first took the Australian Open in 1995.
In a relentless baseline battle, Agassi wore down the Russian after being shocked by a series of line-splitting first-set returns.
After levelling the match with a win in the second set, Agassi ran up a double service break in the first and third games of the third set, holding serve routinely to edge ahead.
The American clinched the vital break in the opening game of the fourth set, but missed six chances to forge further ahead. Nevertheless, a patient Agassi, whose brick wall returns and constant use of feathery drop shots wore down Kafelnikov, needed only the one break.
He put together three match points in the 10th game and while the Russian salvaged one, Agassi fired an ace to seal the title.
Kafelnikov made a far higher number of unforced errors - 61 to 35 - and was at the net a lot more but not able to capitalise.
Kafelnikov said Agassi proved what a great player he was with four Grand Slam finals appearances in the past year, and he would continue to be one of the men to beat in 2000.
"He proved last year he has the same enthusiasm and is going to play for at least three more years before he retires - at least I hope so," Kafelnikov said.
Agassi paid tribute to the Russian, and to his own coach, Brad Gilbert.
On Kafelnikov he said: "It's not easy coming back to a slam and defending it as champion."
Gilbert had "helped and directed my tennis and helped me achieve so many of my dreams."
