With a partisan crowd throwing its full weight behind her in an emotion-packed match, the sixth-seeded Graf captured her sixth and final French Open title and denied the 18-year-old Hingis her first by rallying for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory today at the $10.5 million event.

Capping off her long comeback from a string of injuries, Graf claimed her 22nd career Grand Slam title -- two behind Margaret Smith Court -- and first since the 1996 U.S. Open. By winning her sixth title at Roland Garros, Graf moved within one of Chris Evert for second on the all-time list.

"I feel French," Graf said. "It's the biggest win I've ever had. When I came into this tournament I wasn't playing so well, even in training. Everything kind of didn't really go my way. It is incredible. Somehow I did it."

Graf, two weeks shy of her 30th birthday, will not challenge Evert's record, today saying this was her final French Open appearance.

"This is definitely the last time I play here, without a doubt," Graf said. "This memory should be the way it is. I'm extremely grateful that I've been able to be in a position to have that kind of memory to look back on. I just want to keep it the way it is. I think it's pretty amazing."

Graf, however, did not eliminate herself from playing in the other Grand Slams and will seek her eighth Wimbledon title later this month.

Graf earned $662,000 for winning her 107th career singles title, by far the most among active players and third all-time behind Martina Navratilova's 167 and Evert's 154.

For Hingis, it was her second loss at the French Open final in three years. She lost to Iva Majoli in 1997 and again was thwarted in her bid to complete her personal Grand Slam, having already won three Australian Opens, a Wimbledon and U.S. Open title.

Unlike her loss to Majoli as a 16-year-old, and perhaps realizing her chance at tennis history, Hingis let herself get caught up in the frustration of close calls and a Roland Garros crowd that was uncharacteristically vocal and adamant in its support of the former world No. 1.

Hingis was so distraught after the match she needed her mother and coach, Melanie Molitor, to console her before going to the podium to receive the runner-up plate.

Hingis' temper flared early as she received a warning in the third game of the match for throwing down her racket and breaking it.

But it was the third game of the second set where Hingis imploded. Hingis thought her forehand return landed in and when it was ruled out, she ran to Graf's side of the court to protest amidst the crowd chants of, "Steffi, Steffi." Hingis received a point penalty as she protested the call with the supervisor of officials.

"I didn't expect that at all," said Hingis on the call, which changed a 15-all game to 30-love in favor of Graf. "The mark was also there, and Steffi turned around immediately and she knew it was in. The call went against me. The mark was there and I showed the mark. She (chair umpire) just said, 'There is no mark, so we have to go with the first call.' I saw it (mark) when I went over to the other side. I was like, 'Okay, whatever.'"

Graf was startled at Hingis' tirade on that point.

"That obviously showed that she was pretty tight and she wanted it bad," Graf said. "I also have never seen anybody come around to the other side, because everybody knows you're not allowed to do that. I was surprised she was worrying so much about that one point."

Hingis broke to go up 5-4 and won the first point serving for the match. But Graf broke back as Hingis netted a backhand. The German proceeded to win the next two games and force the deciding set.

"When I was down 6-5, 5-4, and she was serving for the set, I was sitting down. As I was sitting down, I was like, `OK, this is going to be the last changeover for me,'" said Graf. "That's how I was sitting there. I don't know why, but that's the way I was thinking at the moment."

You know, I didn't feel bad about it, you know. (I thought) `OK, this is the last time I walk on the court.' Then I walk on the court, I'm like, `OK, this is maybe the last time, but at least go for it.' And I did. And somehow I came back to even it at five-all."

Even Hingis admitted she lost something after the first point she served for the match.

"The candle probably was burned off at 5-4, 15-love," Hingis said.

With the momemtum shifted, Graf stormed to a 3-0 lead in the third set. Hingis broke in the fifth game to make it 3-2, but Graf broke the Swiss teenager twice in the final three games to close the match.

"She had chances for 3-all," Graf said. "I basically told myself that, 'I want to go for it more' because I realized I was just being a little too defensive. Once I had the 4-2 lead, I had a very good feeling going into the next two games."

On Graf's first match point, a frustrated Hingis tried an underhanded serve, leading to another cascade of boos from the Roland Garros crowd.

"I just thought, 'Well maybe down under it's easier. I don't have to go down and up again,'" Hingis said. "I just couldn't serve. I was like, 'Okay, something happen. A miracle would have to happen for me to win the match.'"

A second underhanded serve further riled the crowd, producing more chants of, "Steffi, Steffi." Finally, and mercifully for Hingis, a long backhand error sealed the victory for Graf.

However, Hingis' dramatics did not end there. After shaking hands with Graf, she immediately ran off the court, again to a parade of boos. Molitor brought a teary-eyed Hingis out for the trophy presentation, with her daughter burying her head in Molitor's shoulder to hide the sobbing before Graf received her trophy.

"If my mother wasn't there, I wouldn't come back," Hingis said. "Would you go out there if everybody boos you out, if nobody wants you to win? That feels great, I have to tell you."

Even in defeat, Hingis would not give Graf full credit for pulling out the victory, noting the crowd rallied behind the former world No. 1.

"I think the first two sets, I was better, and the third was hers," Hingis said. "The public was against me all the time. I don't really understand it."

Graf became the first player in the Open Era (since 1968) to defeat the top three players in the world at the same event. She defeated No. 2 Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals before eliminating No. 3 Monica Seles in the semifinals. Graf will move from No. 6 to No. 3 when next week's WTA rankings are released on Monday, her highest ranking since losing the top spot to Hingis on March 30, 1997.

On the men's side, American Andre Agassi, seeded 13th, moved within one match win of becoming only the fifth player in men's tennis to win all four Grand Slam tournaments as he completed a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4 semifinal victory over unseeded Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia.

On Sunday, Agassi will look to complete his personal Grand Slam when he faces unseeded Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine, who advanced to his first career Grand Slam final on Friday with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) win over Fernando Meligeni of Brazil.

Fortunately for Agassi, the match had been suspended on Friday with Hrbaty on a roll after winning the last four games of the third set and leading, 2-1, on serve in the fourth. But all the momentum gained on Friday was lost today, as the Slovak failed to capitalize on two break points in the fourth game and another in the sixth game.

Agassi, however, was able to convert his break-point opportunity to go up 4-3. The American served out the match to advance to his first Grand Slam final since the 1995 U.S. Open.

"My mind is already moving ahead to tomorrow, to continue the same focus and determination that I've shown that's given me the opportunity," Agassi said. "It's certainly has been a wonderful few weeks. It's added to my career probably much more than I realized. I think it's teaching me exactly just what I can accomplish if I put my mind to it."

A back-to-back finalist in 1990-91, the 29-year-old almost did not even compete here due to a shoulder injury. But now he has a chance to complete his personal Grand Slam and join Don Budge, Rod Laver, Fred Perry and Roy Emerson as the only men to win all four Grand Slam events. Agassi won Wimbledon in 1992, the U.S. Open in 1994 and the Australian Open in 1995.

"It would be an incredible achievement," Agassi said. "But I haven't done it yet."

Agassi will attempt to become only the 11th American male to win the singles title at Roland Garros and the first since Jim Courier won the second of his back-to-back titles in 1992. In addition, he would become the first male to win a Grand Slam title on four different surfaces.

Hrbaty reflected on whether Friday's suspension of the match was a disappointment.

"I played a little bit better in the rain," Hrbaty said. "The balls were heavier so he couldn't hit the ball that hard. But this is tennis. If it rains, you have to stop. It's normal and you have to take it like it is."

Today's defeat ended an incredible run for the 21-year-old Hrbaty, who knocked off world No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia and ninth seed Marcelo Rios of Chile en route to his first Grand Slam semifinal.

"It was great for me," Hrbaty said. "The semis is always good. If there are some more tournaments like this, I'll be happy."

With his showing here, Hrbaty will move from No. 34 into the top 20 for the first time in his career when next week's ATP rankings are released on Monday.