Agassi captures 50th title

Andre Agassi ended his three-year run of bad luck in the Franklin Templeton Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, by beating Juan Balcells of Spain 6-2, 7-6 yesterday for the 50th title of his career.

The American became the eighth player to win 50 championships in the open era, which began in 1968. Among active players, he trails only Pete Sampras, who has 63 titles.

Agassi won his third Scottsdale championship in 1998 but had to withdraw the following year because of a hamstring pull in the semi-finals. Then Francisco Clavet of Spain beat him in the first round in the last two years, a jinx Agassi overcame by overwhelming Clavet 6-3, 6-2 in this year's first round.

Against Balcells, Agassi faced a player who is No 123 on the ATP entry system to Agassi's No 5, the American won the last four games of the first set and never faced break point in the match.

The Spaniard toughened in the second set, holding serve and then forcing the tiebreaker with a hard forehand toward Agassi's feet. Agassi tried to lob but the ball drifted long.

Early in the tiebreaker, Agassi took a 2-1 lead when a crosscourt backhand by Balcells was ruled wide. On the next point Balcells pulled his left hamstring and did not try for Agassi's forehand winner along the line. After each player exchanged successful points, Balcells had his upper leg taped, but he was virtually immobile and did not try to cut off any of Agassi's last three winners.

The Italian Davide Sanguinetti captured his second title of the year after seeing off the American teenager, Andy Roddick, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the final of the International Tennis Championships at Delray Beach in Florida yesterday. The defeat was Roddick's first in five career finals.