Top-Seeded Agassi Survives Scare in Vermont Tournament

Andre Agassi, the defending champion and top seed, survived a scare from journeyman Marty Davis 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 today in the second round of the $602,500 Volvo International tennis tournament.

Second-seeded Michael Chang was to meet Johan Carlsson of Sweden and No. 3 Brad Gilbert was to face Gianluca Pozzi of Italy later in the day.

Agassi overpowered Davis, ranked 121st in the world, in the first set with two breaks and appeared en route to an easy victory. But Davis pulled together his serve and volley game, then scored the only service break of the second set in the eighth game when Agassi hit a forehand long and Davis put away a backhand volley.

The third set again went with serve until the eighth game, when the game that brought Davis back let him down.

At deuce, he double-faulted and then netted a volley.

Still, Agassi did not have it easy, facing two break points and needing four match points before he closed out the match in the next game.

This time, Davis netted two backhands, the second on serve.

“I was all over his serve in the first set,” Agassi said. He said he felt Davis tried to do too much in the first set, then calmed down.

At the same time, Agassi, who has yet to win a tournament this year after taking six last year and rising to No. 3 in the world, said he lost his concentration and did not get it back until the final set.

“I’m a weird character out there,” he said of his up-and-down play.