"The way I was thinking and serving out there, I was in command," Rusedski said. 

The victory avenges Rusedski's appearance in the 1997 final at San Jose Arena, when he was forced to retire against Pete Sampras with a wrist injury.

"I'm back now," Rusedski said. "It's good to be healthy. It's good to be playing good tennis."

Top-seeded Agassi, who had trouble with his first serves, lost for the first time this season, putting his record at 11-1. He was playing in his first tournament since winning the Australian Open.

Down 0-40 to open the second set, Agassi was broken when he overhit as Rusedski rushed the net. But with girlfriend Steffi Graf and coach Brad Gilbert looking on, Agassi held serve to narrow the set to 4-3.

After Agassi again held serve to prolong the final, Rusedski served for the match and won it with a crosscourt shot into the corner that his top-ranked opponent could not reach.

"You have to expect him to serve well," Agassi said. "Once he gets up a break, you feel he gets the feeling that the finish line is in sight."

Rusedski, 27, played with poise and confidence throughout the match's 59 minutes, pummeling Agassi with serves reaching 139 mph. The players had not met since 1997, when Rusedski beat Agassi to advance to the final.

Rusedski hit the fastest serve on the ATP Tour, 149 mph at Indian Wells in 1998. On Sunday, he aced Agassi 13 times.

Agassi, who had dropped just one set in the tournament before Sunday, seemed off all day. He was broken to fall behind in the first set, facing a 136-mph Rusedski ace.

Agassi made just 54 percent of his first-serve points in the opening set, and 65 percent overall. Rusedski, in contrast, won 93 percent of his first-serve points.

"I played a little bit tentative in the first set and he played a good break game," Agassi said. "There was not much I could do, I just got outplayed."

Rusedski, ranked 13th, looks to break into the top 10 with the victory. Agassi, who beat sixth-seeded Jan-Michael Gambill in the semifinal, was vying for his fifth title in the San Francisco Bay Area's ATP Tour stop. The only other player in the open era to win five is John McEnroe. 

Agassi, 30, has reached the final of the tournament six times, with his only previous loss coming against Sampras in 1996.

Rusedski advanced to the final with a victory over feisty qualifier Xavier Malisse. He was broken just three times in the tournament. Plagued by foot injuries last year, Rusedski had not advanced to a final round since October 1999. This season, he has been overhauling his mechanics to help prevent injury, and it has taken him to three semifinal rounds.

"Last year was looking miserable, my tennis career was almost gone," he said. "It's good to be back."

Despite the loss, Agassi still leads the series against Rusedski 3-2.

In the doubles final Sunday, fourth-seeded Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and American Brian MacPhie defeated Americans Gambill and Jonathan Stark 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

Rusedski, Agassi in Sybase Final

In his first tournament since winning the Australian Open, Andre Agassi advanced to the Sybase Open final with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jan-Michael Gambill on Saturday night.

Agassi, the top seed, will play eighth-seeded Greg Rusedski Sunday in the title match of the $400,000 indoor tournament.

Down 5-3 in the second set, Gambill held serve to keep the match alive, but Agassi answered with an ace down the center line for match point.

Agassi, the top-ranked player in the world, is vying for his fifth straight title in the tournament, played at San Jose Arena.

Sixth-seeded Gambill opened the match with three straight aces en route to a 2-0 first-set advantage, but Agassi seemed to be just warming up. He broke Gambill then held serve to even the match.

The two played close until Agassi broke Gambill again with an impossibly placed backcourt shot after the 23-year-old challenger rushed the net.

Gambill, who defeated Juan Balcells of Spain to advance to the semifinal match, went up 2-1 games in the second, but was outplayed down the stretch by Agassi, who was quick and precise.

Agassi moved to 11-0 on the season with the victory, and took a 5-2 lead in his career series against Gambill.

Rusedski advanced to the final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over feisty qualifier Xavier Malisse in the earlier semifinal Saturday.

Rusedski, a lefty from Britain, was making his third semifinal appearance this season after overhauling his mechanics to help prevent injury.

Malisse took the first game but eighth-seeded Rusedski aced him on a second serve, then hit a 139 mph ace to even the set at 1-1.

``His serve is unbelievable,'' the 20-year-old Belgian challenger said.

Malisse, who had played six matches to get to the semifinals, eventually started to show signs of wear. At one point, he dropped his racket, bent over and clutched the front of his shirt for several moments.

When Rusedski broke him to take a 4-3 lead, Malisse tossed his racket in frustration.

Malisse took the first game of the second set and the crowd at San Jose Arena took his side. Two teen-age girls even hoisted the Belgian flag.

But Rusedski broke Malisse to take a 3-2 lead and controlled the match the rest of the way.

``I started putting a little pop in my serve,'' Rusedski said. ``I lifted my game when I had to.''

Plagued by injury last year, Rusedski has not advanced to a final round since October 1999.

Rusedski made it to the finals of the Sybase Open back in 1997, defeating Michael Chang and Agassi before retiring against Pete Sampras with a wrist injury.

Rusedski, who defeated second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals, will be seeking his 10th career title on Sunday.

Malisse advanced to the semis when fourth-seeded Tommy Haas retired from their quarterfinal match with an injured right hip.

Agassi advanced to the semifinals with a victory over pal and hitting partner Sargis Sargsian.

It was the third time Malisse had qualified into the main draw this season. He has reached the semifinal round twice in his career, and both times went on to the final match where he was defeated.

``I was a little bit tired out there today,'' he said. ``But I think even if I was in great shape — Greg played real well.''

Agassi Advances at Sybase Open

Australian Open champion Andre Agassi advanced to the semifinals of the Sybase Open with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over his friend and hitting partner Sargis Sargsian on Friday night.

Top-seeded Agassi improved to 10-0 this year in the lighthearted quarterfinal match, as girlfriend Steffi Graf looked on. Fans, including musician Carlos Santana, cheered for both the seven-time Grand Slam winner and his underdog opponent.

``It's always tough playing somebody you want to see win,'' Agassi said. ``You have to stay focused. You have to concentrate.''

Serving with a 4-2 advantage in the second set, Agassi rallied for some time with Sargsian before the Armenian charged the net and fooled him with a short cross-court tap. Agassi, unshaken, went on to win the game.

The players got a laugh when a ball caromed straight up off Sargsian's racket — and stayed up. The ball got caught in the overhead video scoreboard.

Top-ranked Agassi, who has won the Sybase four times, faces the winner of Friday night's late match between Spain's Juan Balcells — who upset third-seeded Mark Philippoussis in a marathon match Thursday that lasted into early Friday — and sixth-seeded Jan-Michael Gambill.

In an earlier quarterfinal match, Greg Rusedski used his size and power to upset Australian sensation Lleyton Hewitt 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.

Eighth-seeded Rusedski, who advanced to his third semifinal this year, easily took the second set as Hewitt struggled with his first serves. He won the match with a cross-court drop shot that Hewitt couldn't get to.

``He definitely got better and better as the match went on,'' Hewitt said.

Second-seeded Hewitt, wearing his trademark backward baseball cap, needed quickness and agility to overcome Rusedski's booming serve in the first set.

He took the opening set with a 105-mph serve that Rusedski returned into the net.

Rusedski said he varied his chip-and-charge strategy a bit to throw Hewitt off after getting off to a jittery start.

``My main plan was to go to the net with him because I think from the back he's a better player,'' he said.

Hewitt, who turned 20 last Saturday, beat Rusedski in their previous two meetings. The quarterfinal loss spoiled hopes of a final between Australian Open winner Andre Agassi and Hewitt.

Rusedski made it to the Sybase final in 1997, but retired from the match against Pete Sampras with a wrist injury.

Rusedski's opponent for Saturday's semifinals was decided when fourth-seeded Tommy Haas couldn't finish his match against qualifier Xavier Malisse of Belgium because of a right hip injury.

Haas said he dove twice in the final set, bruising his right knee and aggravating a hip injury he'd been nursing all week.

``When I came up, I didn't feel right, and I knew I couldn't risk any more,'' he said.

In quarterfinal doubles matches played earlier Friday, Simon Aspelin and Johan Landsberg of Sweden defeated second-seeded Americans Justin Gimelstob and Scott Humphries 6-3, 7-6 (8). Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and American Brian MacPhie defeated American wild card entries Paul Goldstein and Jim Thomas, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

Rusedski Advances at Sybase

Greg Rusedski used his size and power to upset Australian sensation Lleyton Hewitt 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the $400,000 Sybase Open on Friday.

Eighth-seeded Rusedski, who advanced to his third semifinal this year, easily took the second set as Hewitt struggled with his first serves. He won the match with a cross-court drop shot that Hewitt couldn't get to.

``He definitely got better and better as the match went on,'' Hewitt said.

Second-seeded Hewitt, wearing his trademark backward baseball cap, needed quickness and agility to overcome Rusedski's booming serve in the first set.

He took the opening set with a 105-mph serve that Rusedski returned into the net.

Rusedski said he varied his chip-and-charge strategy a bit to throw Hewitt off after getting off to a jittery start.

``My main plan was to go to the net with him because I think from the back he's a better player,'' he said.

Hewitt, who turned 20 last Saturday, beat Rusedski in their previous two meetings. The quarterfinal loss spoiled hopes of a final between Australian Open winner Andre Agassi and Hewitt.

Rusedski made it to the Sybase final in 1997, but retired from the match against Pete Sampras with a wrist injury.

Rusedski's opponent in the semifinals Saturday was decided later Friday when fourth-seeded Tommy Haas played qualifier Xavier Malisse.

In other semifinal matches, Agassi was scheduled to play friend and practice partner Sargis Sargsian, and Spaniard Juan Balcells — who upset third-seeded Mark Philippoussis in a marathon match Thursday that lasted into early Friday — was matched against sixth-seeded Jan-Michael Gambill.

In quarterfinal doubles matches played earlier Friday, Simon Aspelin and Johan Landsberg of Sweden defeated second-seeded Americans Justin Gimelstob and Scott Humphries 6-3, 7-6 (8). Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and American Brian MacPhie defeated American wild card entries Paul Goldstein and Jim Thomas, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.