Agassi a Winner at Stockholm

Andre Agassi, hoping to put some points on the board this week and next at the Masters Series-Paris to qualify for the year-end Masters Cup, began his Stockholm campaign with a win Wednesday, defeating Fin Kristof Vliegen in straight sets.

"To get the feeling of support is an incredible feeling," Agassi said of receiving multiple standing ovations at Stockholm. "It's one of the things that make me keep on going...This was a nice way to get started. The conditions were very different than last week so I knew there were some adjustments that needed to be made."

Other seeded winners on the day were (3) Andrei Pavel (d. Tabara in three) and (6) Robin Soderling (d. Swedish countryman T.Johansson in three).

Unseeded winners were Olivier "The Roach" Rochus (d. Tipsarevic), Swede Jonas Bjorkman (d. Arthurs in three), "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter (d. Anderson), and wildcard Michael Ryderstedt (d. O.Hernandez).

Scheduled for Thursday in Stockholm are Sluiter vs. (8) Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, (5) Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez vs. (WC) Ryderstedt, (4) Tommy "The H." Haas vs. Carlsen, (1) Agassi vs. Bjorkman, and Jan-Mike Gambill vs. (2) Joachim "Pim-Pim" Johansson.