Tennis: Agassi is forced to deliver a riposte

ANDRE AGASSI, the Wimbledon champion, secured his third tournament victory of the season when he fought back to beat Ivan Lendl 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the final of the Canadian Open in Toronto.

The victory was Agassi's first against Lendl, who had won their five previous encounters.

Lendl, the third seed, won the first set courtesy of a pair of service breaks as Agassi struggled to find his range.

However, once Agassi, seeded second, went ahead 2-0 in the second set with a break of his own he assumed complete control, adding another break in the seventh game for a 5-2 advantage before serving out the set.

The third set was dominated by Agassi, who streaked to a 5-0 lead, breaking breaking Lendl three times. He wrapped up the game in impressive style, serving four consecutive aces from 0-30 down.

However, Agassi - partnered by John McEnroe - failed to add the doubles title, losing 6-4, 6-4 in the final to Danie Visser, of South Africa, and American Pat Galbraith, of the United States.

Pete Sampras, the world No 3 who was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, won the first clay-court tournament of his career when he defeated Alberto Mancini, 6-3,

7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Head Cup tournament in Kitzbuhel.

Karel Novacek, of Czechoslovakia, won the Dutch Open, beating Jordi Arrese, of Spain, 6-2, 6- 3, 2-6, 7-5 in the final.