Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Despite 35 unforced errors, Andre Agassi held off Gaston Gaudio to gain the third round of the Paris Masters.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS -- Andre Agassi overcame 35 unforced errors and beat Argentina's Gaston Gaudio 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-4 Tuesday to advance to the third round of the Paris Masters.
Agassi, a two-time tournament champion, will face the winner of the second-round match between Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson and Tommy Robredo.
Top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt also reached the third round in Paris, easily defeating Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-4. The Australian next meets Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who eliminated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-3, 7-6 (8).
After winning the first set, Agassi wasted two break points in the opening game of the second set. Trailing 6-5 in the set, Agassi appeared to lose his composure when he challenged a call on a shot by Gaudio. Agassi won that game, but won just one point in the tiebreaker.
Sealed the victory
In the third set, Agassi broke for a 5-3 lead, but lost his next service game. As wife Steffi Graf looked on from the stands, Agassi broke again to seal the victory.
Agassi trails Hewitt by just 43 points in the ATP Champions Race, which determines the year-end rankings. The American hasn't won a major this season, but he has taken three of eight Masters Series events, which are second only to majors in importance.
"Feeling like I'm out there competing for it keeps my juices flowing through the end of the year," he said Tuesday after beating Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters.
"It motivates me to do it next year. It makes me feel like I can do it next year. Playing for the No. 1 spot is a clear sign to me that my future is still in my hands, so that's a good feeling."
Williams divorce
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The parents of Venus and Serena Williams completed their divorce Tuesday.
The divorce won't affect the advisory roles Richard and Oracene Williams play in their daughters' tennis careers, said Raymone Bain, a publicist for Oracene and Serena Williams.