Agassi cruises past Sampras

Andre Agassi is the man to beat this year

Andre Agassi 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 6-1 Pete Sampras

Andre Agassi crushed Pete Sampras in straight sets on Sunday to claim the US$4.5m Masters Series event in Indian Wells.

Agassi wrapped up the win in two hours and eight minutes to secure the title at the third time of asking.

Of the four events he has entered in 2001, Agassi has won two and reached the final of another - losing to Britain's Greg Rusedski in San Jose last month.

You have to weather Pete's (Sampras's) storm and the pressure he puts on you

  Andre Agassi

The much anticipated clash was far from a classic, but the victory counts as the 13th for Agassi in 30 matches against his legendary rival - a record dating back to 1989 in Rome.

Sampras has now been beaten in straight sets in his last two finals, after Russia's Marat Safin edged him out of the US Open in September.

The defeat leaves the 13-time Grand Slam holder without a trophy since Wimbeldon last summer.

Agassi, 30, claimed his 47th career crown with a near-perfect performance comprising 27 winners and a mere 10 unforced errors on his way to a US$400,000 champion's prize.

"You have to weather Pete's storm," Agassi said. "You have to fight the pressure he puts on you. The tiebreaker could have gone either way."

Pete Sampras is suffering a slump in form

Sampras, 29, refused to be downbeat, however.

"The tiebreaker was a huge part of match," he said. "I had a set point, but Andre had the good stuff at the right time.

"I slowly wilted away in third and he picked up his game. I had my chances but I didn't convert."

The 59-minute first set stayed break-free with Agassi saving a set point for Sampras in the 10th game for five-all.

In the ensuing tiebreaker, Sampras double-faulted twice and dropped to 2-4 down before starting to recover.

The third seed put a forehand into the net to give Agassi a set point, which the fourth seed took with a stinging backhand winner down the line.

Agassi scored the first break of the match in the 12th game of the second, grabbing a two-sets-to-love lead.

The third set was a runaway for Agassi, who concluded with a service winner to wrap up the victory.