Tennis: Hewitt inches closer to the top

Lleyton Hewitt today beat Andre Agassi 6-3 6-4 to close the gap on world number one Gustavo Kuerten in the Champions Race to just eight points.

Hewitt, the US Open champion, triumphed in front of his home fans at the Sydney Superdome.

After breezing through the first set, the 20-year-old broke the Australian Open champion in the first game of the second but Agassi hit back and levelled the set at 3-3.

Hewitt broke back immediately and went on to capture his second victory of the week in the season-ending event.

It is his second career win against Agassi in four meetings, and the victory is worth 20 points in the Champions Race.

Hewitt’s next opponent in the John Newcombe Group will be compatriot Pat Rafter.