March 24, 2003	Monday	Muharram 20, 1424

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MIAMI, March 23: Andre Agassi looked almost fully recovered from a shoulder injury as he opened his defence of the Nasdaq-100 title in Key Biscayne with a comfortable victory on Saturday.

Agassi, forced to miss last week’s Indian Wells tournament with nerve problems in his right shoulder, swept to a 6-4 6-2 victory over Michael Chang.

There was some doubt that the world number two and reigning Australian Open champion would be ready to return here but any question over his fitness was soon dispelled as he eased to victory against the 1992 champion.

Agassi’s path to a third successive title here has been made easier by the shock defeat of top seed and world number one Lleyton Hewitt on Friday night.

Victory here would also put Agassi in sight of reclaiming the number one crown, but he said that was a lower priority.

Agassi broke Chang’s service for the first time in the seventh game of the first set. Then after he broke again in the first game of the second set, the match was delayed for 22 minutes by rain.

After coming back on, Agassi saved two break points to hold serve for 4-2, and broke Chang again before serving out for the match.

Agassi also paid tribute to Chang, 31, who will retire after the US Open in August and who was making his last appearance in Miami.

The two Americans share a rivalry stretching back to 1988, with Agassi, 32, leading 15-7 in head-to-head meetings.

Roger Federer reached the 2002 final against Agassi without dropping a set and the 21-year-old Swiss number one was delayed only briefly in his opening 6-2 7-5 win over Peruvian qualifier Luis Horna this year.

It was the fourth seed’s 22nd win on the ATP Tour this year, more than any other player, and Federer said his confidence was soaring.

Federer is third in the Champions Race this year behind Agassi and German Rainer Schuettler and captured three tour titles in five finals last year.

Despite his clear talent, though, he remains disappointed with his performances in the grand slams, where he has never been past the quarter-finals in 15 attempts.

David Nalbandian of Argentina, the 10th seed, shrugged off the loss of the first set on a tiebreak to beat Brazilian Flavio Saretta 6-7 6-4 6-1 and move on to a meeting in the final 32 with Younes El Aynaoui.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

MEN

Second Round: Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat 20-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4; Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) beat 15-Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 6-3 6-4; 2-Andre Agassi (U.S.) beat Michael Chang (U.S.) 6-4 6-2; 4-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Luis Horna (Peru) 6-2 7-5; Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) beat 7-Marat Safin (Russia) 7-6 (11-9) 7-5; Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat 8-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) 6-2 3-6 6-4; 9-Albert Costa (Spain) beat Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-3 6-2; 10-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Flavio Saretta (Brazil) 4-6 6-4 6-1; 14-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) beat Jean-Rene Lisnard (France) 6-3 6-4; Nicolas Massu (Chile) beat 17-Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 6-4 5-7 6-3; 19-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 6-1 6-4; Franco Squillari (Argentina) beat 22-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-3 6-4; 26-Guillermo Coria (Argentina) beat Anthony Dupuis (France) 6-0 6-4; 29-Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) beat Felix Mantilla (Spain) 6-4 6-1; 30-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) beat Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4; 32-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Arnaud Clement (France) 6-2 6-1

WOMEN: 8-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Marta Marrero (Spain) 2-6 6-2 7-6 (7-1); 13-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Meilen Tu (U.S.) 6-2 6-1 14-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Jill Craybas (U.S.) 6-4 6-3; 2-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6-3 6-1; 4-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) beat Vera Douchevina (Russia) 6-3 6-2; 6-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat Anastassia Rodionova (Russia) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2; Sarah Taylor (U.S.) beat 11-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) 7-5 6-4; 12-Chanda Rubin (U.S.) beat Carly Gullickson (U.S.) 6-2 7-5 17-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat Dinara Safina (Russia) 3-6 7-5 6-2; Marlene Weingartner (Germany) beat 18-Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) 6-1 6-4; Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat 20-Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) 2-6 6-3 4-3, retired; 23-Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) beat Alina Jidkova (Russia) 4-6 6-4 6-3; 26-Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) beat Tatiana Poutchek (Belarus) 7-5 7-5; 30-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) beat Denisa Chladkova (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-2; 31-Laura Granville (U.S.) beat Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-3; Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) beat 32-Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian (Switzerland) 6-3 6-2.—Reuters