Andre Agassi swept into the final of the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne yesterday in a manner that proclaimed his top seeding at the Australian Open starting in the same city on Monday. His 62, 5-7, 6-4 win over Sweden's Thomas Enqvist sets up a final tomorrow against Pete Sampras or Australia's Mark Philippoussis.

There was no denying Agassi's form. "I don't have a lot of complaints right now," he said. "I feel strong, I feel like I'm moving well, feel like I'm working my serve well, picking up the serve."

Enqvist, seeded sixth next week, could not give the rest of the field much encouragement. "He is very tough to beat," he said. "He is looking fit and moving well, so I think he is the big favourite for next week."

Australia have their own favourites and their rising star Lleyton Hewitt has yet to lose in this millennium. Yesterday the 18-year-old, who won the hardcourt title in Adelaide at the weekend, reached the semi-finals of the Sydney International with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Adrian Voinea.

But it was the women there who could cause the greater stir. Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo reached the same semi-final, reopening the verbal sores of a year ago when they met in the Australian Open final. Hingis, the winner on court then, suggested the Frenchwoman, now 20, was "half a man", either a reference to her muscular physique and lesbianism or a cunning plank in the argument for equal pay.

Yesterday, after Hingis enjoyed an easy passage against Dominique van Roost, she said of today's opponent: "She's a dangerous player but she still has to prove herself by winning a big tournament." She described her relationship with Mauresmo as "professional".

Mauresmo, who took advantage of 34 unforced errors by Mary Pierce to win 6-2, 6-3, said of her relationship with Hingis: "It's not like we are real good friends, you know."

The other semi-final is between Lindsay Davenport, who beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-7, 63, 6-4, and Anna Kournikova, who recovered to beat Alexandra Stevenson 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.