LOS ANGELES, 2 August 2005 — Andre Agassi clinched the 60th title of his career by beating Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the Los Angeles Open on Sunday.

The top-seeded American, still a major force in the game at the age of 35, put paid to his 22-year-old opponent in a little under 90 minutes.

Agassi’s triumph, his first of the season, put him level with Frank Parker, Roy Emerson and Jimmy Connors as the only four-time winners of the tournament.

The eight-times grand slam champion improved his Los Angeles record to 34-6 by avenging his loss to Muller in their only previous match last August in the Washington semi-finals.

“It feels amazing,” said Agassi. “This is why you work so hard. This feeling doesn’t happen so often any more. I’m taking it all in and feeling good.”

Agassi, playing again after two months out with a sciatic nerve injury in his back, dominated the first set after starting with a break and losing just two points on his own serve.

He increased the pressure on Muller in the second set, breaking for a 6-5 lead before serving out for victory in the next game.

“It feels good to let my game fly, have the eagerness to scamper for balls not sure you will get to and end up winning the points,” added Agassi, who is listed as an entry for next week’s Washington event.

Coria Beats Moya to Clinch Croatia Open

In London, Argentina’s Guillermo Coria won his first title of the year with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory over four-times champion Carlos Moya of Spain in the final of the Croatia Open on Sunday.

It was Coria’s ninth career victory on the ATP Tour and his seventh on clay.

The second-seeded Argentine lost finals in Monte Carlo and Rome to Spaniard Rafael Nadal earlier this season.

Moya, the sixth seed in Umag, won the Croatia Open in 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

Clijsters Sets Sights on US Open

In Stanford, California, after winning her third hardcourt title of the year, Kim Clijsters believes she is primed to win her first grand slam title at the US Open which begins at the end of the month.

“The US Open is on my mind,” Clijsters told Reuters after defeating Wimbledon champion Venus Williams 7-5, 6-2 in the final of the Stanford Classic.

“I’d like to give myself another chance to go for the title again.”

The 22-year-old has reached four grand slam finals but has come up short each time.

However, having chalked up a 24-match winning streak on US soil, Clijsters has reason to believe she could at last break her grand slam jinx.

The former world number one has not been beaten in the United States since she lost the 2003 Flushing Meadows final to fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne.

After a miserable 2004 season, when she was sidelined following wrist surgery, Clijsters marked her comeback with a 14-match winning streak. She captured back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami in March and April.

But the alarm bells started to ring again when she injured her right knee in May just before the French Open.