With a vocal Las Vegas crowd supporting him, Andre Agassi held off long time rival Pete Sampras in the championship match, 8-5, to capture the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Championships at the Thomas and Mack Center Saturday night.
“This was the best, most energized crowd of the entire Series so far this year,” said Agassi. “It means the world to me that everyone came out tonight to support us – it was a very special feeling, and I can’t thank the fans enough. I felt pretty relaxed early on, and the crowd definitely helped me tonight.”
It was Agassi’s second victory of the 2011 Champions Series, and the win propelled him into second place in the official standings. Sampras still holds a commanding lead in the Series and now leads Agassi by 800 points with just three of the 12 events remaining. Only the top 3 finishers at the end of the 2011 Champions Series will share the one million dollar bonus pool, as Michael Chang currently holds a slim 100-point lead over Jim Courier for third place.
Sampras advanced to the final with a 6-4 semifinal victory over John McEnroe, while Agassi dispatched Jim Courier in a 6-3 semifinal win.
The Champions Series resumes next Thursday night in Chicago at the Powershares QQQ Challenge, followed by events in St. Louis Friday and Buffalo Saturday to conclude the 2011 Series. Tickets and unique interactive VIP fan experiences for the 2011 Champions Series are on sale to the general public and start at $35. Tickets are available at venue box offices, all Ticketmaster locations, 202-397-SEAT or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
TONIGHT’S SCORES
Semifinal 1: Sampras def. McEnroe, 6-4
Semifinal 2: Agassi def. Courier, 6-3
Final: Agassi def. Sampras, 8-5
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Topics: Adre Agassi, Pete Sampras