Awesome Agassi wins with 18-in-a-row
Andre Agassi sent shockwaves reverberating through the Australian Open today by reeling off 18 consecutive games to send Korean Hyung-Taik Lee tumbling out in the second round.
Agassi picked off his stunned opponent in ruthless fashion on Rod Laver Arena, winning every game from his first serve onwards to seal a remarkable 6-1 6-0 6-0 scoreline.
The result was made all the more incredible because Lee was no novice and had been enjoying the best period of his career.
The Korean beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final of the adidas International last week, having entered the tournament as a qualifier, and then overcame dangerous Spaniard David Ferrer in the first round here.
But today’s contest was ended in just 80 minutes by another sensational display of clean hitting and blistering winners from Agassi.
Top seed Lleyton Hewitt, who struggled to see off qualifier Magnus Larsson in five sets yesterday, will have watched on with interest as Agassi raced into the third round without having dropped a set.
The victory was Agassi’s most comprehensive ever in a grand slam match.
His previous best was a 6-0 6-1 6-1 thumping of compatriot Justin Gimelstob in the second round of last season’s US Open.
Just to add to the drama, Agassi’s run began when he trailed 1-0 in the first set and faced three break points.
