CINCINNATI, Ohio (Reuters) – Andre Agassi confirmed his return to form when he beat Australian Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to win his first title in nine months at the Cincinnati Masters Series on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Agassi unsettled Hewitt with some assertive play in the first set, breaking the Australian who had not dropped a set so far in the tournament in the seventh game and going on to clinch it 6-3.
But 10th seed Hewitt bounced back in the second set, forcing the eight-times grand slam winner into a series of errors to take the match into a deciding set.
Agassi, who has had to fend off constant questions about retirement following a slump in recent months, raced into a 4-1 lead in the third set and withstood a fight-back from his younger opponent before breaking him in the final game to seal the match.
The charismatic American had had a depressing run, raising speculation that he would soon call it a day after losing in the first round of the French Open, one of three consecutive opening-round defeats, and missing Wimbledon altogether.
He was also knocked out in the second round of the Toronto Masters, just before Cincinnati, by Austria’s Jurgen Melzer, ranked 62 in the world.
But Agassi put in a series of confident performances at Cincinnati, beating among others fourth seed Carlos Moya and defending champion Andy Roddick, the world number two, on his way to the final.
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