Agassi’s Last Match Draws Big Audience

Andre Agassi’s final match Sunday at the U.S. Open, a four-set loss to German qualifier Benjamin Becker, drew a 3.0 overnight Nielsen rating on CBS. That’s the highest overnight rating for Sunday coverage of the Open during the first weekend since 1990.

The 3.0 is also 30% higher than last year’s overnight of 2.3 for the first Sunday of the tournament.

Even replays of previous Agassi matches during Saturday’s rainout drew a respectable 1.6 overnight rating.

An overnight rating represents 55 of the nation’s largest television markets.

The USA Network’s coverage of Agassi’s dramatic five-set victory over Marcos Baghdatis on Thursday night earned a 2.1 national cable rating. The fourth night of the tournament got a 0.7 rating last year. The 2.1 tied the highest USA rating for Open coverage in nearly four years.

-- Larry Stewart