Agassi Again Too Much for Stich in Rematch of U.S. Open Final

U.S. Open champion Andre Agassi defeated Germany’s Michael Stich on Sunday, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in a rematch of last month’s final to win the CA indoor tennis tournament.

The 2-hour 48-minute match was watched by an enthusiastic crowd of 8,000 cheering wildly for the third-seeded Agassi, who was playing in his first tournament since the Open.

In the first set, the second-seeded Stich broke Agassi to take a 3-1 lead, but Agassi broke back on his third break point in the seventh game to get back to 3-4.

Agassi held serve for 5-5, then attacked in the 11th game, but Stich battled through six deuces to lead, 6-5. But Agassi got even and won the tiebreaker.

In the second set, Agassi broke Stich to lead, 2-0. But he then lost three games in a row, allowing the German to break back in the fifth game and even the score in the sixth at 3-3.

“He started out serving so well, and I think I was lucky to get back into the first set,” Agassi said. “In the middle of the second, I got a little tired, a little loss of concentration.”