Kuerten Beats Agassi to Finish Year at No. 1

Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil swept Andre Agassi, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, Sunday to win the Masters Cup at Lisbon, Portugal, and become the first South American to finish the year at No. 1 since the ATP began computer rankings in 1973.

“I didn’t believe I could do this,” Kuerten said after winning his fifth title this year.

Kuerten finished with 19 aces to Agassi’s seven and hit 50 winners to Agassi’s 15.

“I think I surprised Andre by the way I played, a little bit faster than normal, with big confidence, believing in myself,” Kuerten said.

Kuerten became the first man to beat Pete Sampras, whom he defeated in the semifinals, and Agassi in consecutive matches since Michael Chang in 1990.

Marat Safinlost to Agassi in the semifinals. The Russian would have finished No. 1 if Kuerten had lost.

Golf

Defending champion Ernie Els claimed golf’s largest prize by beating Lee Westwood on the second hole of a playoff to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, South Africa. The victory earned Els $2 million.

Karrie Webb and Rachel Hetherington of Australia won the inaugural Women’s World Cup at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, leading a charge past sisters Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam of Sweden, who were ahead by three strokes entering the final day but finished second.

Australia finished two strokes in front with a three-day total of 13-under 275.

Hale Irwin shot a five-under 67 and his second bogey-free round in as many days to win the Senior Slam by two strokes over Tom Kite at Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

Australia’s Robert Allenby shot a two-under-par 70 in the final round for a one-stroke victory over countryman Steven Conran in the Australian PGA at Brisbane.

Winter Sports

Fredrik Nyberg of Sweden upset Hermann Maier and the Austrians for his first World Cup super-G victory at Beaver Creek, Colo. in 1 minute 21.18 seconds. Nyberg finished .03 of a second ahead of Christoph Gruber of Austria. Maier finished sixth.

The U.S team struggled on its home turf as Chad Fleischer, who lives in nearby Vail, finished 17th, but three other U.S skiers failed to make it to the finish line.

Figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko pulled off a rare quad-triple-double combination sequence to win the NHK Trophy at Asahikawa, Japan.

Martin Schmitt of Germany edged Janne Ahonen to win a ski jumping World Cup event at Kuopio, Finland. Felix Gottwald of Austria won the Nordic Combined.

Adolo Anton Ohno of the U.S. won the men’s 3,000 meters at the short-track speedskating World Cup at Nobeyama, Japan.

Matthias Benesch of Germany led his four-man crew to victory over countryman Andre Lange at a bobsledding World Cup in Altenberg, Germany. . . . Zdenek Vitek anchored the Czech Republic to victory in the men’s biathlon relay at Anterselva, Italy. . . . Karsten Albert won a luge World Cup race at Oberhof, Germany to lead a German sweep of the top three places in the men’s singles event.

Miscellany

Kristee Porter had 38 kills and 18 digs as the UCLA women’s volleyball team outlasted Michigan State, 15-7, 15-13, 16-14, 6-15, 15-9, in a second-round Mideast Regional match before 401 fans at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins (24-7) will play Pacific (28-3) in a semifinal later this week at a time and place to be determined. Michigan State fell to 18-13.

Bobby Labonte, who parlayed consistency and four wins into his first Winston Cup championship, has been named Driver of the Year by a 16-member panel of motorsports writers and broadcasters from all over the United States.