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Andre Agassi successfully defended his Australian Open men's singles crown by beating France's Arnaud Clement in straight sets, 6-4 6-2 6-2.

The last player to retain the trophy was fellow American Jim Courier in 1993 - and it is the first time that Agassi, three months away from his 31st birthday, has won a Grand Slam title two years running.

The sixth seed never looked back after breaking his opponent in the third game of the match, cruising to victory inside two hours at the Rod Laver Arena.

Agassi raced into a 4-1 lead in the first set with a flurry of baseline winners, aligned with some nervy errors from the first-time Grand Slam finalist.

However, Clement fought back with a break of his own as his confidence began to grow.

But with a player of Agassi's talent and experience at the other end, he was unable to win another break and the sixth seed rounded off the set 6-4.

The second set was even less of a contest as the Frenchman began to show signs of fatigue - a possible result of his five-set, four-hour-plus semi-final victory over Sebastien Grosjean.

Agassi was bossing the rallies and Clement had no answer to his faultless tennis.

And with under an hour of the match gone, Agassi was within touching distance of another title Down Under as he claimed the set 6-2.

This wasn't an unusual position for Clement, having lost the opening two sets in his semi with Grosjean, but his opposition was to prove less forthcoming on the comeback front.

Both men were starting to struggle in the punishing Melbourne heat, but it was Agassi who struck the first blow in the third set, breaking his opponent in the first game.

Clement immediately broke back, only to lose his next service game as well.

But, the pivotal game was to be the fourth, when the Frenchman was unable to capitalise on four break points and Agassi held serve to go 3-1 up. There was to be no way back from here.

If Clement's spirit wasn't broken by this, the next game put paid to any remaining hopes, as Agassi secured a double-break to move 4-1 up for the third successive set.

Agassi was now relentless with the finishing line in sight and he comfortably wrapped up the set 6-2 and with it his seventh Grand Slam title.

"Exciting is not the word," said Agassi, who has won four of his seven in the last two years - a stage in his life when many players have already exited the game.

"This is what you play for - this is what it's all about. If I really play my cards right this can be the start of an incredible year."

Agassi, who again chose not to mention girlfriend Steffi Graf in his victory speech, doubts whether he will keep going longer than a few more seasons.

But while he is around he wants to go on being a winner.

"How can you not want to win?" he asked.

"A man needs to work. If I do this well I might as well work here."

Reminded that Jimmy Connors had said at 30 he would be getting out in a couple of years and instead carried on playing Grand Slams until he was 40, Agassi said: "I would probably be more shocked than anybody if I did that."

"I was a nervous wreck before the match and I had a hard time eating. You worry about whether you are getting sick.

"Arnaud is probably the fastest player on the tour, and I have a lot of appreciation of how dangerous he can be.

"But once you get out there there are a number of times it occurs to you that you're glad it's not Pete (Sampras) or Rafter. You feel like you have the edge in certain respects.

"I had to answer his weapons and establish mine. I felt like I did that pretty well."

The Frenchman was gracious in defeat after the match and he denied that nerves had played a part in his downfall.

Clement said: "I was not nervous. Today he was just too strong for me.

"I beat him two times with my game, but today his game was two or three levels higher. For me it was impossible to beat him."