Agassi wins Colonial Classic tennis

By PHIL BROWN

AP Writer

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -If winning a rematch of last year’s final is any indication, Andre Agassi is ready to defend his Australian Open title.

In a match with some brilliant shotmaking, Agassi stopped Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to win the Colonial Classic on Saturday in a battle that featured the two men who played for the Australian Open title a year ago.

After a year in which he battled injuries, Agassi was satisfied with the victory.

“I feel good about the way I’m moving, the way I’m striking the ball, and I still feel I can get a lot better,” Agassi said.

The Open starts Monday, with Agassi seeded sixth and Kafelnikov fifth, behind Gustavo Kuerten, Marat Safin, Pete Sampras and Magnus Norman.

When Agassi beat Kafelnikov in last year’s final, it capped a sizzling streak in which he also won the U.S. and French Opens and was runner-up to Sampras at Wimbledon.

Then a fall on court at Queens and an automobile accident took him out of much of the summer.

The 30-year-old former No. 1 broke Kafelnikov in Saturday’s sixth game with a display of control tennis, but then was broken in the second game of the second set when the Russian forced him into some errors.

Agassi needed two consecutive points with shots that hit the lines to break again in the final set’s fourth game.

Kafelnikov broke right back with some spectacular serve returns, but then faltered while trailing 4-3. He double-faulted and missed two groundstrokes before Agassi sealed his decisive service break with a forehand blast that Kafelnikov couldn’t handle.

Agassi then served out the 1-hour, 20-minute match, finishing with a backhand crosscourt winner deep in the corner.

“When we’re both making our shots, it’s pretty explosive tennis,” he said.

“There were still a few loose points that cost me a couple of service breaks,” he added.

Agassi, who opens against Czech player Jiri Vanek, is in the same quarter of the Open draw with Sampras.

“The quarterfinals are a long way off. If it was to come down to Pete in the quarters, I always contend it is better to play Pete in the quarters or semis than it is in the final,” Agassi said.

He beat Sampras in a dramatic semifinal last year.

Sampras also played in the Colonial, losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero and Patrick Rafter before beating Nicolas Kiefer.