Tired Agassi beats Wheaton

Playing a second round match at the 700,000 Legg Mason Tennis Classic here yesterday, after receiving a first round bye, Agassi was the beneficiary of some much-needed good fortune.

His 29-year old opponent, David Wheaton, like Agassi a former member of the so-called tennis 8220;brat pack,8221; has been as beset by ailments as Agassi, missing half of last year after heel surgery.

Agassi made effective use of heavy groundstroke winners and pinpoint lobs to dispatch Wheaton 6-4, 6-2 in 79 minutes.

Top seed Michael Chang, also troubled by injuries this year, made even quicker work of unseeded fellow-American, Michael Sell, advancing 6-2, 6-3 in 68minutes.

Agassi dominated Wheaton after winning the first set 6-4, breaking his opponent twice in the second set and reaching 5-1.

Wheaton came alive briefly at the end, chasing down Agassi8217;s groundstrokes but missing two chances to break. Agassi served out the victory 6-2 with an ace.

Jimmy Arias, who at 34, truly is old by tennis standards, felt every year of it as he fell quickly to third-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, 6-1 6-2 in a second round encounter.