Agassi sees off Delgado
Andre Agassi saw off a spirited challenge by British number seven Jamie Delgado to get his campaign for a second Wimbledon title up and running today.
The 33-year-old world number one was given a useful workout before triumphing 6-4 6-0 5-7 6-4 against a man he had beaten in straight sets in the second round two years ago.
Since then Delgado has slumped to his current 456 in the world and enjoyed no main tour wins.
But the 26-year-old from Maidenhead performed way above expectations and broke his illustrious opponent twice on his way to winning the third set.
Unfortunately for Delgado, Agassi was made of much sterner stuff than Lleyton Hewitt, who crashed to Ivo Karlovic on the same Centre Court yesterday.
And a break in the fifth game of the fourth set was enough for Agassi to wrap up victory.
Agassi, who has won four of the eight tour tournaments in which he has played this year, started off a stroll and scattered the baseline with ferocious ground-strokes as he stormed into a two-set lead.
Delgado’s demise seemed to be hastened by regular treatment he received for a back injury during and immediately after the second set.
But his meeting with the trainer seemed to work wonders as Delgado came out firing and passed Agassi with a couple of his own searing forehands.
And he took advantage of his second set point opportunity with a delicious lob which had his supporters in raptures.
Delgado forced him to serve out for the match and but there was nothing in Agassi’s performance to unduly worry those who backed him to secure a second crown 11 years after his first.
