Super-fit Andre Agassi laid the groundwork for an Australian Open assault on Fortress Federer with an opening win at the Kooyong Classic ON Wednesday as his Swiss rival scored a fighting victory of his own. Federer, the world number one who began 2005 with a 14th straight title last weekend in Doha, began his final Grand Slam preparation with a win over Roland Garros champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Agassi, the ageless veteran who remains a serious title threat at age 34, got his eye in on the Rebound Ace of Kooyong club, defeating Chile's Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).
The 34-year-old - looking in superb condition after a winter training regime that saw him shed around five kilograms - showed almost no rust and on this showing will be among the favourites for next week's Open.
Agassi regularly bench-pressed 141kgs during his intense December training camp in Las Vegas to prepare for the season and harbours few doubts that 23-year-old Federer remains the man to beat.
"If you finish number one for the year like Roger did, that's an incredible effort," eight-time Grand Slam winner Agassi said of Federer's 11 titles last season, including three of the four Slams and the Masters Cup.
"He's setting the standard and making all of us work harder. I'm thankful for that."
The eight-man Kooyong has been the event of choice for the top names in the sport, with eight of the last 10 champions at the Open getting their eye in here, former home of the major until 1988.
Agassi, a four-time Australian Open winnder, struck a dozen aces and had 34 unforced errors as he played his first competitive match since last October's loss in the final of the Stockholm Open. The Chilean committed 41. "I felt pretty good," said Agassi. "I like the way the match played out. I was able to control points if I hit my shots. I was moving pretty well - you had to in order to react to his big forehands."
Federer dropped the tight first set against Gaudio before breaking loose with his flowing trademark game to calmly carve out victory, overcoming 49 unforced errors as he experimented to fine-tune his lethal game.
Untroubled as usual, the Basel native had few problems once he got rolling. "It was about getting used to the surface," he said of the Rebound Ace upon which he had less than two hours of practise this week.
"The conditions are much quicker than Doha, my timing was OK, but I could have served better.
"All-in-all I'm happy with the match, and I won it - that's a good sign. Now I have a day off and hopefully play better the next match."
In a late development, Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan was replaced in the field through injury by Ivan Ljubicic, who will play Andy Roddick first up.
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