ANDRE AGASSI unleashed attacking, aggressive tennis to overpower Michael Chang 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 and claim a second consecutive title at the $2.2 million ATP event in Mason, Ohio yesterday.
Agassi, sixth in the world but with last weekend's Olympic title momentum still fresh, earned his 11th victory from 17 matches in the series between American rivals who have been facing each other since their junior days.
The victory was a repeat of the 1995 final here. Agassi has won 11 matches in a row since the start of the Games. Chang, the champion at his last two ATP Tour tournaments, had his own summer win streak ended at 14.
The victory, worth $320,000 was Agassi's second title of what has been for him a poor year. The 26-year-old from Las Vegas had taken his only previous 1996 title at The Lipton event in Florida.
The first set lasted for more than an hour and was full of momentum shifts as the two jockeyed for supremacy.
Agassi took the early edge through a break of Chang in the opening game after the world number three held a 40-15 lead.
But Chang's tenacity came to the fore in the ensuing games as the third seed saved three break points for 2-3, held to love for 3-4 and finally broke back to level at 4-4 when Agassi netted a forehand.
Agassi also displayed heroics, saving four set points in the 10th game and finally pulling up to 5-5 when a Chang return landed wide.
In the tie-breaker, Agassi raced to 2-0, lost the next four points, but clinched the set from a Chang unforced error.
Agassi broke for 3-1 in the second but Chang calmly fired over a series of winners to break straight back for 2-3 and then held for 3-3.
Agassi kept up the pressure and put over a perfect passing shot that landed right on the sideline for match point in the 10th game. Agassi went on to take victory when Chang returned hard into the net.
Monica Seles won the du Maurier Canadian Open for the second successive year, putting on a masterful display to heat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 6-1, 7-6 in the final in Montreal last night.
Number one seed Seles went through the tournament without dropping a set.
