Points won by each set: [ 25-32, 30-23, 28-17, 42-40 ]
Points won directly behind the serve:
24 % Agassi – 28 of 116
24 % Kafelnikov – 30 of 122
Pivotal moment: 3-all in the 2nd set on Agassi’s serve, 16-stroke rally – only diagonal backhands (!) – Kafelnikov [21] made an error… It was their second meeting on Rod Laver Arena, Agassi [1] triumphed in straights five years before in the quarterfinals. The American went unbroken in the 4th set (at 4:2 he wasted 4 mini-match points in a 9-deuce game) & finished the event with the same type of ace as five years before when defeated Sampras in the final… # A few months earlier, Agassi defeated Kafelnikov in the US Open semifinal after almost identical match in terms of sets.
Agassi’s route to his 45th title:
1 Mariano Puerta 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
2 Sjeng Schalken 7-5, 6-0, 6-3
3 Mariano Zabaleta 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
4 Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-3
Q Hicham Arazi 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
S Pete Sampras 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-1
W Yevgeny Kafelnikov 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4