Jeff Tarango of the United States upset his second-seeded countryman Vincent Spadea 7-6 7-5 6-2 in the in the first day of play in

Jeff Tarango of the United States upset his second-seeded countryman Vincent Spadea 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in the in the first day of play in the $1 million Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow today. The 31-year-old Tarango took a 3-1 lead early in the first set but in the ninth game at 40-30 he double-faulted and then sent two forehands into the net to lose the game, angering him so much that he smashed his racket. "I didn't like the racket any more, it wasn't much my friend," Tarango told reporters. He then won the first set on a tiebreaker and had little trouble in the second one, which he closed with a crowd-pleasing ace. Tarango, a doubles specialist, is a defending doubles champion. Jan Kroslak of Slovakia struggled through to beat Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3). American Justin Gimelstob stopped the Russian veteran Andrei Cherkasov, a wild-card for the tournament, 6-3, 6-3. The Kremlin Cup tournament, in its 10th year, will see only one player from the top 20: defending champion Kafelnikov, No 2 in the world. I'm always trying to learn, and she's an easy person to learn from in that department.". ATP World Rankings (previous week in brackets): ATP World Rankings (previous week in brackets): Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski have both slipped out of the world's top 10 to leave Britain without a player in tennis' elite for the first time in more than a year. Henman crashed out of the top 10 in the latest rankings released today, following his second-round exit in last week's Stockholm Open. The British number one falls two places to 12 while injured Rusedski drops a further two places to number 14 after tumbling from sixth to 12th last week. Both players have come to the end of their seasons having failed to qualify for next week's ATP Tour World Championship in Hanover. Britain have had at least one representative in the top 10 since October 12 1998 and both players will begin next season outside of the elite group. Sweden's Thomas Enqvist rises to four on the list after his win in Stockholm. 1 (1) A Agassi (US) 4649pts2 (2) Y Kafelnikov (Rus) 3338 3 (5) G Kuerten (Bra) 25634 (7) T Enqvist (Swe) 2537 5 (3) P Sampras (US) 23846 (6) N Kiefer (Ger) 2322 7 (4) T Martin (US) 2319 8 (8) N Lapentti (Ecu) 22849 (9) M Rios (Chile) 224510 (11) R Krajicek (Neth) 209511 (14) T Haas (Ger) 192112 (10) T Henman (GB) 192013 (15) C Pioline (Fr) 181414 (12) G Rusedski (GB) 180215 (19) M Norman (Swe) 1748 16 (17) P Rafter (Aus) 173117 (18) K Kucera (Slovak) 1633 18 (20) A Costa (Sp) 157219 (23) M Philippoussis (Aus) 157020 (21) V Spadea (US) 1542. "I'm always fascinated to pick the brain of a champion," Agassi said. "She certainly has the ability to ask a lot of herself, and I've enjoyed getting to know her focus and her intensities. Agassi made the decisive break for 4-3 after Safin double-faulted, and he saved a break point to hold, winning the most exciting point of the match. Steffi Graf, who endured an ear-bashing from Brad Gilbert, Agassi's coach, while watching her friend play, seems to have had a positive affect on Agassi's spirit of well-being. Agassi made light of a blistered right foot, Safin occasionally blistered his racket - and received a warning for throwing it - as the pair duelled for supremacy.

As yet, Safin has not matured as a player to the point where he is making the connections consistently enough to win the major championships, but that time may be not far away. Agassi exchanged service breaks in the opening set, but when it came to the tie-break his concentration was such that he only had to hit the ball four times - three serves, one return - in advancing from 2-0 to 7-1. Safin salvaged the third set, which enabled the crowd to enjoy the bonus of a keenly contested finale. But the 29-year-old Agassi was in good shape, physically and mentally, to deny the youthful challengers. When Safin connects cleanly with ball there is not a lot an opponent can do except move, parry and hope. He promised the 15,000 spectators that he would try to thank them in French when he returns next year, and he told his talented opponent: "It's all going to get better." Agassi, who felt the power of Safin's game when he was eliminated in the first round of the French Open in five sets in 1998, acknowledges that the 19-year-old Muscovite, whose groundstrokes have been refined in Spain, is among the brightest newcomers, in company with the Australian Lleyton Hewitt and Nicolas Lapentti, of Ecuador, whom Agassi defeated in three sets in Saturday's semi-finals. What Agassi said in reference to Safin - "He made me earn it today from start to finish" - applied equally to Lapentti. And what a year it has been, with triumphs on clay, on concrete at the United States Open in September, on carpet here, and only defied by an inspired Pete Sampras in the final on the Wimbledon grass in July. Now, already confirmed as the year-end world No 1, Agassi intends to return to America for a week's rest before preparing for the ATP Tour Championship in Hanover on 23 November. The eight qualifiers are: Agassi (United States), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia), Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil), Pete Sampras (United States), Nicolas Kiefer (Germany), Todd Martin (United States), Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) and Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador). Britain's Tim Henman, who competes in Stockholm this week, remains in contention with the Dutchman Richard Krajicek, Germany's Tommy Haas and the Frenchman Cedric Pioline to become first reserve. Of the many heartfelt comments Agassi made in his post-match address yesterday, two were particularly apt.

When Agassi is winning prizes, he loves Paris best of all. It was here on the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros at the French Open in June that the bald charmer from Las Vegas finally proved himself a tennis champion for all seasons by joining Rod Laver, Fred Perry, Don Budge and Roy Emerson as only the fifth man to win each of the four Grand Slam singles titles. Yesterday, indoors on a synthetic court at the Palais Omnisport de Paris-Bercy, Agassi defeated the Russian teenager Marat Safin 7-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to become the first man to win a French Open and Paris Open double in the same year. Andre Agassi loves Paris in the springtime Andre Agassi loves Paris in the fall When Agassi is winning prizes, he loves Paris best of all Andre Agassi loves Paris in the springtime Andre Agassi loves Paris in the fall. Harlequins: Try Sheasby; Penalties Liley 4. London Irish: C O'Shea (capt); J Bishop (M Horak, 76), B Whetstone, R Todd, J Cunningham; S Bachop, K Putt (S Hatley, 74); N Hatley, M Howe, K Fullman (S Halford, 70), R Strudwick, N Harvey, J Boer (A Mower, 70), M Gabey, K Dawson. Harlequins: D O'Leary; J Keyter, P Mensah, W Carling (capt), M Dallow (G Rees, 74); R Liley, P Richards; J Leonard, C Ridgway, P Graham (K Nepia, 54), G Morgan, S White-Cooper (G Llewellyn, 80), R Jenkins, C Sheasby, P Sanderson. Referee: C Rees (London).. The forwards began to win some solid ball and they also defended well whenever the Exiles threatened their line. Irish's half backs, Kevin Putt and Steve Bachop, were always looking to launch their threequarters in a series of tricky if at times over-complicated moves.

Early in the game the complexity of one move was down solely to a string of crossovers for which the Exiles were duly penalised. London Irish: Try O'Shea Conversion Cunningham Penalties Cunningham 3. Cunningham topped it off with the conversion then added a later penalty. But Quins had shown a serious side to their game up front and gradually they asserted themselves. Although their first decent passage of play led only to a second penalty for Jarrod Cunningham it levelled the scores and fired up the Exiles. Within a minute, Justin Bishop gathered a poor kick upfield by Daren O'Leary. The Ireland wing slung a long pass inside to the lurking O'Shea and the fullback split the defence with a brilliantly angled run, then combined superbly with Cunningham. As the wing hared over to the left, O'Shea meanwhile looped around him for the return pass before hammering over in the corner.

The Exiles were at home and were in a far superior position in the Allied Dunbar Premiership table to their groundshare partners. Typically, Irish's captain, O'Shea, was the one who had to bring his men out of their trance. Although they appeared to have woken up midway through the first half there were still too many dozy errors and knock-ons to suggest they would find things easy. By that point Harlequins had stolen into the lead - albeit only by a couple of Rob Liley penalties, but there was a principle here. Quins opted to kick for the line-out, caught the ball and drove No 8 Chris Sheasby over under a tangle of desperate bodies. There was just a point in it and barely a minute left of additional time.