HOUSTON, 14 November 2003 — Andre Agassi scored a dramatic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero at the ATP Masters Cup on Wednesday, clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking for American compatriot Andy Roddick.

Roddick was not at the Westside Tennis Club to thank Agassi personally but he will owe the eight-time grand slam winner a big pat on the back the next they meet for his stunning performance against the French Open champion.

“Andy had number one in his hands the whole week,” said Agassi who only once in his long career finished the year with the number one ranking beside his name.

“But, you know, glad to help ... I aim to please.

“For him to dominate the hardcourt season the way he did is incredible. I did that in 1995 and it just took a lot out of me.

“He’s proven himself to be number one over the greatest players in the world. So he has a lot to feel proud about.”

While Roddick did not attend the match, the 21-year-old US Open champion quickly responded to the news issuing a statement soon after the contest was completed.

“I’m incredibly honored to finish the year as number one but I’m probably more proud to be the sixth American,” Roddick said.

“It’s hard to reflect on what a year this has been but I’m incredibly fortunate to be playing at home in the United States.”

While the win meant the world to Roddick it was also key for Agassi, leveling his Blue Group record at 1-1 and keeping him in contention for a semifinal spot at the lucrative $3.65 million year-end finale.

Earlier in the day, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer crushed his Argentine bogeyman David Nalbandian, 6-3, 6-0 jumping to the top of the group standings with a 2-0 record.

Agassi and Nalbandian sit second with identical records and the winner of their match today will advance to the last four along with Federer. Ferrero slipped to 0-2 with one round-robin match to play and is out of the tournament.

US Twins Become First Brothers to Win ATP Doubles Crown

American twins Mike and Bob Bryan clinched the ATP year-end world number one doubles ranking on Wednesday at the Masters Cup, becoming the first brothers to ever achieve the honor.

The Bryans, who captured their first Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open, sealed the crown without lifting a racquet after a loss by second-ranked Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Mahesh Bhupathi of India.

“We’re happy to be the first brothers team to finish number one,” Mike Bryan said.

“That was our biggest dream in the world along with playing Davis Cup. We’ve accomplished both goals this year. We hope to finish here with a title.”

Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Mark Knowles of Bahamas defeated Bhupathi and Mirnyi 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-4) in a Blue Group round-robin match to book a semifinal date with Frenchmen Fabrice Santoro and Michael Llodra. The Bryans will face Argentina’s Gaston Etlis and Martin Rodriguez in today’s semifinal with the final set for tomorrow in the season-ending showdown of the year’s eight top doubles teams.

The Bryans also set a record for most doubles titles by a brother duo, breaking the mark of 10 by Tim and Tom Gullikson.

The fifth-ranked Australian duo of Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley defeated eighth-ranked Etlis and Rodriguez 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (11-9), but the South Americans advanced by virtue of beating Mirnyi and Bhupathi head-to-head.

Not until Etlis and Rodriguez won a set were they assured of the semis and the Bryans set atop the rankings because Mirnyi and Bhupathi could not erase their 64-point deficit in the ATP Champions Race.