Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis selected 26-year-old Amanda Salinas in the finale Monday of NBC's "Age of Love."

Philippoussis, 31, went with youth, taking Salinas over 48-year-old Jen Braff, an executive assistant to Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Salinas, an assistant to a financial planner who formerly was a member of the NHL's Nashville Predators' dance team, outlasted 12 other participants, five in their 20's and seven in their 40-year-olds.

A nervous Philippoussis watched the finale from a lounge at Planet Hollywood Resort with friends and tourists, who gathered for the showdown and had mixed reactions when the decision came.

Salinas walked in to cheers and applause moments after the episode ended. They embraced amid a barrage of popping flashbulbs.

As of now, there are no marriage plans, they agreed.

"We're in the real world now," said Philippoussis, "and we just want to get to know each other without the cameras."

They plan to spend some time together this week in Las Vegas, "just hanging out, watching a movie and having some popcorn." They have kept in touch by text messaging, they said.

Braff choked back tears during her final interview when she said, "I know if I had been younger he would have chosen me."

— NORM CLARKE, VEGAS CONFIDENTIAL