Andre Agassi won the Madrid Masters on a walkover on Sunday as Czech Jiri Novak was forced to pull out with a leg injury without a ball being struck. Novak's withdrawal, announced shortly before the start of the five-set final, gave Agassi his 15th Masters Series title, extending his record, and strengthened his bid to catch Lleyton Hewitt and finish the year as number one in the world.
Agassi, seeded second at Madrid, moves to within 43 points of the Australian with two weeks left of the regular ATP season, plus the Masters Cup in Shanghai to play. "It's a very disappointing way for the tournament to come to an end. You worry about Novak's health, though. I hope it's not too bad. It's been a great week, with so much excitement, and it's disappointing for it to end this way," said Agassi.
Filed by James Shortt
