Agassi Reinforces Grip On No. 1 Tennis Ranking With Win Over Sampras

Andre Agassi, the world’s top-ranked player, rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over No. 2 Pete Sampras in the final of the $2.5 million Canadian Open tennis championships Sunday.

“This tournament means a lot to me,” Agassi said.”This is where it started for me last year, it has special meaning for that. And, it’s winning tournaments like this that make you No. 1.”

Agassi, who won in Toronto last year and has taken three titles in four years, won the U.S. and Australian opens in the past year and ended Sampras’s 82-week hold on the No. 1 ranking on April 10.

Sampras dominated the opening set with his crushing service to become the first player in five matches to win a set from Agassi.

But Agassi rebounded in the second set and took control with his service returns and groundstrokes.