Audio/Video: Men's singles closing stages

Champion Andre Agassi and runner-up Arnaud Clement

BBC Sport Online charts the latter stages of the Australian Open men's singles tournament as the event comes to a thrilling climax.

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Final

Andre Agassi (US) bt Arnaud Clement (FR) 6-4 6-2 6-2

Agassi always looked comfortable

Andre Agassi claimed his seventh grand slam, beating Frenchman Arnaud Clement in straight sets to win the Australian open. Agassi's comfortable win made him the first man to retain the Australian title since Jim Courier in 1993.

Click here to listen to Agassi's comments on his plucky young opponent.

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Semi-finals

A Clement (FRA) beats S Grosjean (FRA) 5-7 2-6 7-6(7/4) 7-5 6-2

Clement was in blistering form

Arnaud Clement provided the fightback of the tournament to beat fellow Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean in five sets. He was forced to save two match points in the third set before recovering his poise to eventually reach the final.

Andre Agassi (USA) bt Pat Rafter (AUS) 7-5 2-6 6-7 6-2 6-3

Agassi was at his brilliant best

Andre Agassi proved the more resilient as he wore down a cramp-ridden Pat Rafter in the final set. The home favourite had the lead at two sets to one but suffered from Agassi's punchy groundstrokes which eventually took their toll.

Click here to listen to Agassi reveal his punishing tactics.

Click here to listen to Rafter vent his physical frustrations.

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Quarter-finals

Arnaud Clement (FRA) bt Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) 6-4 5-7 7-6 7-6

Kafelnikov sturggled to get going

Arnaud Clement set up an all French affair in the semi-final and proved delicate stroke play can win over power. Despite appearing in the last two year's finals, Yevgeny Kafelnikov could not find his rhythm and came up against a Frenchman clearly in form.

Click here to listen to Clement describe his match-winning tactics.

Click here to listen to Kafelnikov make his excuses.

Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Carlos Moya (SPA) 6-1 6-4 6-2

Sebastien Grosjean outplayed Moya

Sebastien Grosjean, seeded 16 because of retirements, outclassed Moya from the back of the court and stormed into the semis. His previous best was the third round where he was knocked out by Britain's Tim Henman.

Patrick Rafter (AUS) bt Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-0

Crowd favourite Pat Rafter is still on course

Rafter shrugged off the weight of expectation to romp home to victory after Hrbaty gave him a battle during the second and third set. The Slovakian changed his game in an attempt to combat Rafter's serve but the home favourite proved his prowess on the hardcourt.

Click here to listen to Rafter confirm he was content to beat off Hrbaty.

Andre Agassi (USA) bt Todd Martin (USA) 7-5 6-3 6-4

Agassi reaped the rewards of his fitness regime

Agassi produced a near faultless display as he proved too hot to handle for fellow American Todd Martin. Two more wins will give Agassi back-to-back titles, last completed in 1993 by Jim Courier.

Click here to listen to Agassi admit his confidence is rising.