Agassi Defeat Crowns Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt clinched the year-end world No1 ranking without lifting a racket today as his only rival for the top spot, Andre Agassi, slumped to a 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 defeat to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the Tennis Masters Cup.

Agassi fought like a rotweiller but could not stop Ferrero or prevent Hewitt finishing the year as world No1 for a second successive year.

Agassi needed to win to stand a chance of becoming the oldest player to end a year top of the pile and, having already lost to Jiri Novak in his opening Gold Group match, he needed to win to stay alive in the contest.

Agassi's disappointment was palpable afterwards. "I don't think it would be possible (to explain) really," he said. "I wouldn't know how to communicate it."

He had looked ill at ease and distracted as he frittered away the opening set, netting a backhand on Ferrero's third set point.

It was a different Agassi who roared on to the court for the second set though, and he reeled off the first four games to put himself firmly in charge.

With pummelling groundstrokes, searing returns and angled serves and volleys he stretched Ferrero and thrilled the crowd as he levelled the match.

The pair stood toe-to-toe for the third set, Agassi hitting harder and harder and Ferrero retrieving for all his worth.

Agassi saw a glimmer of light in the ninth game when he earned two break points but he missed the first with a flicked backhand off a drop shot and Ferrero saved the second with an ace before holding on in admittedly shaky fashion.

Agassi staved off one match point and forced a tiebreak with a thunderous forehand winner down the line.

He then nosed ahead in the tiebreak but allowed Ferrero back into it and a forehand fired long gave Ferrero three more match points at 6-3.

Agassi fought them off too but immediately netted a forehand to give Ferrero his fifth match point. Ferrero needed no heroics as Agassi tamely threw in a double fault.

But despite his immense disappointment Agassi insisted on looking ahead. "Next year I will approach with expectations of it being better," he said. "The key will be consistency."