Andre Agassi confirmed his return to form when he beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to win his first title in nine months yesterday.
The 34-year-old 11th seed unsettled Hewitt with some assertive play in the first set, breaking the Australian, who had not dropped a set so far in the tournament, in the seventh game and going on to clinch it 6-3.
But Hewitt, the 10th seed, bounced back, forcing the eight-times Grand Slam winner into a series of errors to take the match into a deciding set.
Agassi, who has had to fend off constant questions about retirement following a slump in recent months, raced into a 4-1 lead and withstood a fightback from his younger opponent before breaking him in the final game to seal the match.
The charismatic American has had a depressing run, raising speculation that he would soon call it a day after losing in the first round of the French Open, one of three consecutive opening-round defeats, and missing Wimbledon altogether.
He was also knocked out in the second round of the Toronto Masters, just before Cincinnati, by Austria's Jurgen Melzer, ranked 62 in the world.
But Agassi put in a series of confident performances at Cincinnati, beating among others fourth-seed Carlos Moya and defending champion Andy Roddick, the world No 2, on his way to the final.
Tennis: Agassi confirms return to form
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