TORONTO, 28 July 2004 — Andre Agassi overcame a sluggish start to oust Tommy Haas 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round of the $2.5 million Toronto Masters on Monday.
Haas, who defeated Agassi in the quarterfinals at Los Angeles two weeks ago, took the first set before the eight-times grand slam winner rallied to beat the German for the fifth time in eight career meetings.
After two evenly-matched sets that featured several momentum changes, Haas double-faulted in the ninth game of the third to hand Agassi a 5-4 lead before the American held serve to clinch the win.
“I felt good tonight, I was running well,” said Agassi, who last week became only the sixth man to claim 800 career victories.
“I’m trusting my legs out there, which is a good feeling again,” he told reporters.
Still searching for his first title of the season, Agassi’s ranking has slipped. The 34-year-old is seeded 10 this week, his lowest in the tournament since 1998.
But Agassi, who has won the event three times, remains the favorite of the fans. He was greeted by a standing ovation as he walked on to the main court for the first time at the new $38 million Rexall Center tennis facility.
“It’s pretty special out there, it was a great atmosphere,” Agassi said.
“It feels like you’re playing in the final in the first round. I needed it (the support of the fans), it felt good.”
In other first-round matches, seventh seed Juan Carlos Ferrero was forced to retire against France’s Fabrice Santoro.
Trailing 3-2 in the opening set, Spaniard Ferrero received treatment for back spasms from an ATP trainer but was unable to continue, saying he was in too much pain.
“I hit a return and I started to feel it,” Ferrero said. “When I was serving I felt I couldn’t play.”
It has been a frustrating year for the former French Open champion, who has been plagued by injuries and is without a title win in 2004.
Ferrero, who missed a month of competition after being diagnosed with chicken pox in March, did not know how serious his injury was.
“I hope to be ready for Cincinnati, but I don’t know,” he said, referring to next month’s Masters tournament before the US Open.
Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, the 16th seed, was hard pressed but finally tamed Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Paradorn Srichaphan, the 14th seed from Thailand, defeated Romanian Andrei Pavel 7-5, 6-2 in the only other match involving a seeded player.
Zvonareva Advances but
Three Seeds Fall in Carlsbad
In Carlsbad, California, twelfth seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia powered past France’s Nathalie Dechy 6-4, 7-6 in the first round of the $1.3 million Acura Classic on Monday.
However, three seeds fell by the wayside. American teenager Ashley Harkleroad upset 13th-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 and Russia’s Elena Bovina defeated No. 15 Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
In the night match, American Chanda Rubin crushed 14th seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi of Israel 6-0, 6-3.
The 19-year-old Zvonareva came back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set to down Dechy, who had difficulty dealing with her opponent’s searing pace.
Croatian teenager Karolina Sprem progressed with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Spain’s Marta Marrero.
Sprem, who beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon, was to face fourth seed Lindsay Davenport yesterday, who is coming off back-to-back title triumphs at Stanford and Carson.
Top seed Serena Williams was to make her first appearance yesterday against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia & Montenegro.
Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was also feature yesterday against American Lilia Osterloh while third seed Anastasia Myskina takes on Austria’s Barbara Schett.
