Agassi Is Latest to Be Finalized by Federer

Alone again, naturally.

Twenty-three times Roger Federer of Switzerland has walked onto the court with his opponent for a final. At the end, Federer has stood by himself with the winner’s trophy or some shiny bauble -- 23 consecutive times, an Open-era record.

And now, he’s six for six in Grand Slam finals, taking 18 of 20 sets, a number enhanced by Sunday’s marquee U.S. Open final against 35-year-old Andre Agassi.

The top-seeded Federer received arguably his toughest test in the six Slam finals, defeating the seventh-seeded Agassi, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1, in 2 hours 20 minutes, ending Agassi’s mesmerizing two-week run here and giving Federer his second consecutive U.S. Open title.

Andy Roddick is the only other player to take a set against Federer in his six Slam finals, at Wimbledon last year. But there, Federer didn’t have to play a legend supported by 24,000-plus fans. Nor was he rocked back on his heels the way he was against Agassi, who convincingly won the second set, 6-2. In those 23 finals -- a streak that started in October 2003 in Vienna -- he had lost a set 6-2 only one other time, to Rafael Nadal in Miami this year.

In fact, Agassi -- after making it clear he intended to keep playing -- made a startling revision about something else afterward, saying Federer, not Pete Sampras, was the best he had ever played. That seemed curious, considering all the years Sampras and Agassi were on the court against one another, spending more time together than some married couples.

“Pete was great,” Agassi said. “I mean, no question. But there was a place to get to with Pete, you knew what you had to do. If you could do it, it could be on your terms. There’s no such place like that with Roger. I think he’s the best I’ve played against.”

Even Federer, who has a healthy self-confidence, was rendered modest for a moment.

“Him saying I’m better than Sampras, I’m a little surprised,” said Federer, who is on a 25-match winning streak since losing to Nadal in the French Open semifinals.

“But he says what he thinks is right. I don’t think he would be lying in here. I appreciate it very much. It’s fantastic to be compared to all the players he’s played throughout his career.”

Alone again, naturally?

On paper, it looks a little premature. The now-retired Sampras has 14 Grand Slam titles. Federer has six: three Wimbledons, two U.S. Opens and one Australian Open.

But a closer look suggests Agassi isn’t really out of line, that Sampras might be hearing footsteps. Federer, who turned 24 in August, has six Slams. And when did Sampras win his sixth, Wimbledon in 1995? A little more than a month before his 24th birthday.

“He [Federer] is the only guy I’ve ever played against where you hold serve to go 1-0, and you’re thinking, ‘All right, good,’ ” Agassi said.

His comment drew laughter in the interview room.

“And I’m not just making fun of it,” Agassi said. “I’m literally telling you the way it is. He can hurt you at any point.”

The hurt came in the seventh game of the third set. Agassi had played a brilliant second set and carried it over to the third, stepping into his forehand and returning Federer’s serve with clean winners and often running him side to side.

Agassi broke Federer’s serve at 30 for a 4-2 lead in the third set and the crowd gave him a standing ovation, anticipating another possible classic from Agassi.

But the defending champion’s vulnerability vanished in a flash, when Federer, trailing, 30-0, won four straight points to break Agassi’s serve, pulling to 3-4. Agassi would win only three more games, and he had to fight off four break points at 5-5.

In the tiebreaker, Federer found another gear, the same way he did against Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals.

“I always amaze myself that I can back it up one tournament after another,” Federer said. “I wonder why I always play so well, and especially on the big occasions. It just seems to click for me. When I was down 4-2 in the third, I really started to feel like my serve’s coming back.”

Federer had to play his best to interrupt the Summer of Andre. Agassi dominated the Open with his comeback story, winning three five-setters to reach the final, including an epic quarterfinal against James Blake. He had limped off in a first-round loss at the French Open, missed Wimbledon and needed several cortisone shots during the year.

Agassi consulted with orthopedic surgeon Rick Delamarter of Santa Monica. He knew Delamarter from when the daughter of Agassi’s trainer and friend, Gil Reyes, suffered a broken neck in the late 1990s.

“He hooked me up with the [guy] who knew how to put the needle right on the specific spot,” Agassi said. “I’ve known him for a lot of years.”

He will sit down with Reyes, coach Darren Cahill and, presumably, doctors to work out a game plan for 2006. Agassi thanked the Open crowd for the last 20 years.

“I’m unsure what I’m going to do in a month, let alone a year from now,” he said in the interview room. “As of now, my intention is to keep working and doing what it is I do. You know, the only thing better than the last 20 years will be the last 21 years.”

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Alexa Glatch of Newport Beach, who turned 16 on Saturday, fell just short in the junior girls’ singles final. Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated the seventh-seeded Glatch, 6-3, 6-4.

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At a glance

Roger Federer lost only three sets en route to his sixth Grand Slam title. Also, a look at U.S. Open champions since 1968. Before 1968, the U.S. National Championships was an amateur event. It became the U.S. Open in 1968 when the tournament was open to professionals.

FEDERER’S ROAD TO TITLE

* Round 1: def. Ivo Minar

Score: 6-1, 6-1, 6-1

* Round 2: def. Fabrice Santoro

Score: 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (2)

* Round 3: def. Olivier Rochus (27)

Score: 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-2

* Round 4: def. Nicolas Kiefer

Score: 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4

* Quarterfinals: def. D. Nalbandian (11)

Score: 6-2, 6-4, 6-1

* Semifinals: def. Lleyton Hewitt (3)

Score: 6-3, 7-6 (0), 4-6, 6-3

* Finals: def. Andre Agassi (7)

Score: 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1

*

FEDERER IN SLAM FINALS

* 2005 U.S. OPEN

Def. Andre Agassi, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1

* 2005 WIMBLEDON

def. Andy Roddick, 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4

* 2004 U.S. OPEN

def. Lleyton Hewitt, 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0

* 2004 WIMBLEDON

def. Andy Roddick, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-4

* 2004 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

def. Marat Safin, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2

* 2003 WIMBLEDON

def. M. Philippoussis, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6(3)

*

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS

2005 Roger Federer

2004 Roger Federer

2003 Andy Roddick

2002 Pete Sampras

2001 Lleyton Hewitt

2000 Marat Safin

1999 Andre Agassi

1998 Patrick Rafter

1997 Patrick Rafter

1996 Pete Sampras

1995 Pete Sampras

1994 Andre Agassi

1993 Pete Sampras

1992 Stefan Edberg

1991 Stefan Edberg

1990 Pete Sampras

1989 Boris Becker

1988 Mats Wilander

1987 Ivan Lendl

1986 Ivan Lendl

1985 Ivan Lendl

1984 John McEnroe

1983 Jimmy Connors

1982 Jimmy Connors

1981 John McEnroe

1980 John McEnroe

1979 John McEnroe

1978 Jimmy Connors

1977 Guillermo Vilas

1976 Jimmy Connors

1975 Manuel Orantes

1974 Jimmy Connors

1973 John Newcombe

1972 Ilie Nastase

1971 Stan Smith

1970 Ken Rosewall

1969 Rod Laver

1968 Arthur Ashe