Tennis Roundup : Agassi Gains Rome Final by Defeating Bruguera

Andre Agassi reached his first tournament final in eight months Saturday as he used a blistering forehand for a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sergio Bruguera of Spain in the Italian Open tennis championships at Rome.

Alberto Mancini of Argentina, seeded No. 11, defeated unseeded Jordi Arrese of Spain, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to today’s final against Agassi.

Agassi, ranked No 5 in the world and seeded second, has not lost a set in the tournament. He got a spirited challenge from Bruguera but came through on the big points.

Agassi broke Bruguera’s serve three times in the first set. Breaking for the set in the ninth game, Agassi ran off three consecutive winners--a forehand, a swinging forehand volley and a nicely-placed backhand topspin lob.

Agassi raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set, dropping only three points in the first three games.

Mancini broke serve twice to win his first set against Arrese handily. But he struggled in the second set, making a series of unforced errors. He scored the decisive break in the ninth game, winning at love to go up, 5-4.

“I felt he was out of the match and I let up a little bit,” Agassi said. “He kicked up the gears and took me by surprise. Then I bore down again.”

Mancini, ranked No. 25 in the world, served out the match in the next game, staving off five break points before converting on his third match point.

Top-seeded Steffi Graf of West Germany and No. 2-seeded Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina advanced to the final of the German Open with easy victories at West Berlin.

Graf defeated Helen Kelesi of Canada, 6-2, 6-0, and Sabatini beat Isabel Cueto of West Germany, 6-2, 6-1, in the semifinals.

“Steffi has been playing very well and I expect it will be a difficult match.” Sabatini said.