Agassi reaches first final of the season in LA Open

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Andre Agassi reached his first
final of the season at the Los Angeles Open with an easy 6-4,
6-2 win over Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela Saturday.

The top seed, playing again after two months out with a
sciatic nerve injury in his back, moved closer to a fourth
title at the hard-court tournament he won in 1998, 2001 and
2002.

The 35-year-old, ranked sixth in the world, will bid for
his 60th title in Sunday’s final after a career that includes
eight grand slam trophies.

He faces the winner of the semi-final between second-seeded
Dominik Hrbaty Slovak and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.

“It was a great sign to play two hours in the quarters
(against Paradorn Srichaphan) then come out today and amp up
early,” said an upbeat Agassi. “I responded beautifully. I
haven’t felt that in a number of years.”

The American continued his build-up to form after only six
days of practise after his injury, using a vast reserve of
big-match experience to control Chela, a decade his junior.

Agassi broke the 47th-ranked Argentine for a 4-3 lead in
the opening set, smashed a winner for 5-3 and claimed the set
in 38 minutes with a service on his second set point.

That momentum drove him to an opening break in the second
set and the crowd favorite then secured a 5-2 lead with another
break before finishing the job on his fifth ace.

“I felt a bit flat coming out,” Agassi told reporters. “I
wasn’t ready for him to be so aggressive. I felt the urgency
early on, I didn’t want him deciding points.”

Agassi, playing his fourth semi-final of the season, heads
into his 88th career final and his first since Stockholm in
October when he lost to Thomas Johansson

The American won his last title nearly a year ago when he
beat Australian Lleyton Hewitt in Cincinnati.

Chela was on court for the first time since a groin injury,
suffered during the French Open, also Agassi’s last event.