TENNIS ROUNDUP : Agassi’s Run Stopped by Courier

Jim Courier spoiled Andre Agassi’s debut as the world’s No. 1 player, outslugging him, 6-3, 6-4, today in the final of the Japan Open at Tokyo.

Courier set up match point with a backhand lob just over his opponent and then claimed victory when Agassi sent a forehand long. Agassi had saved one previous match point on his serve at 3-5 in the second set, blasting an inside-out cross-court forehand past Courier.

Courier now has won seven of his 11 meetings with Agassi, but the two had not played since Courier won in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in 1992.

Agassi had said a back strain will force him out of a tournament next week at Hong Kong.

“For Andre to be in the final of this tournament indicates to me that his back is really not too bad,” said Courier, who has slipped to 15th after his No. 1 ranking in 1993.

In the women’s final, Amy Frazier saved two set points in the first set and one in the second en route to a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory over top-seeded Kimiko Date, foiling the Japanese star’s bid for a fourth consecutive championship.

Frazier, who lost last year’s final to Date, improved her match record for the year to 13-6 and received $25,000 for the victory. Date, who is 18-3 with one tournament title and one runner-up finish, pocketed $12,000.

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Amanda Basica of Lomita double-faulted 10 times for the second day in a row but still managed to win her second Easter Bowl Junior title in four years. The Palos Verdes Peninsula High junior defeated third-seeded Brie Rippner of Chico, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), in the girls’ 18 final during a windstorm at Palm Springs’ Riviera Resort and Racquet Club.

Ryan Wolters of San Jose took the boys’ 18 title with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Kevin Kim of Fullerton. Kim broke Wolters’ serve twice in three games and led the first set, 4-1, but Wolters lost only three points in the rest of set. Kim got in a groove in the second set but lost his rhythm in the third.

In the boys’ 16 final, top-seeded Rodolfo Rake of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., defeated Rafael DeMesa of Key Biscayne, Fla., 6-3, 6-1.