Federer downs Agassi to defend Open crown
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-09-12 07:47

He had battled through three consecutive five-setters to reach the final, riding a tide of emotional support from the home fans.

Roger Federer (R) of Switzerland and Andre Agassi of the U.S. stand during the men's final trophy presentation at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York, September 11, 2005. [Reuters]

Federer had already consolidated his position as the world's top player and had beaten Agassi in their last seven encounters.

Agassi won the toss and elected to receive. Federer held comfortably with a barrage of big first serves.

The champion forced the first break points of the final at 3-2 up in the sixth game and he converted on the second as an under-pressure Agassi flapped a forehand into the net.

Federer was dominating early on and had three set points on Agassi's next serve but the American saved all three.

The Swiss stylist then squandered a further four set points against a hard-scrambling Agassi on his own delivery, but finally went one set up on the eighth with a big serve followed by a forehand winner doing the damage.

Agassi drew inspiration from his efforts at the end of the first set and brought the crowd back into the match by breaking Federer in the second game of the second set to lead 2-0.

He staved off three break points against his own serve in the next game and with Federer oddly passive, the Las Vegan struck again in the eighth game to level the set scores at 6-2.

The match was finely poised into the third, but Federer was rattled by the pace and crispness of the American's groundstrokes and two uncharacteristic unforced errors from him gave Agassi another break to lead 4-2.

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