Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassiis an American retired professional tennis player and former World No. 1, who was one of the game's most dominant players from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi had been called the greatest service returner in the history of the game. Described by the BBC upon his retirement as "perhaps the biggest worldwide star in the sport's history", Agassi...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth29 April 1970
CityLas Vegas, NV
CountryUnited States of America
When you see a little bit of that edge off, when he comes down into just warp speed, it gives you a little breath of life.
I was a bit discouraged there in the fourth. He went through a stretch there where I was lucky if every third point, I was in the point. He was hitting ace after ace. I just needed a chance, and I didn't get that till the fifth.
I was a bit discouraged there in the fourth. As hard as I was wanting to try, there's not a lot you can do when you're just not getting into the points,
I was just out of sorts. I think I was still in the locker room there in the first set. I knew it could only get better from there as far as my standard went. I think he got a little careless in the second, allowed me to settle in a little bit more.
I think he's very talented. You know, I think had he gone about his career by investing in himself a little bit more, by choosing his tournaments, by trying to peak for the right tournament, I think he could have accomplished a lot more than he has.
I think he's the best I've played against. But I also think the accomplishment of winning that many Slams requires a number of things, including a little bit of luck to make sure you're healthy, nothing goes wrong.
James, ... is a guy who runs on high octane. He's a fighter jet; he burns the fuel fast and furious, and he plays so big and so fast that if an edge does come off, it's a big relief. You just have to show a bit of experience and keep hitting your shots.
When I get asked that question, I'm just a bit numb to it really, ... All I can say is how I feel ... I don't know what's going to happen.
I kept my head down and kept wanting to make him earn it. In the third and fourth set, I felt I was a bit living on the edge with my serve. But then in the fifth, I settled down a little bit on my service games and put enough pressure on him to get that break.
There's always a bit of working out between each player to be done. He got off to a good start and I had to play well to close him out, it felt good to get through that way.
It's all a bit surreal, ... I get out there and I try to work and I come off the court and many times in my career I feel like it's been a dream. That's the way it feels here.
It's always a bit sad when somebody you spent so much time with over the years, played so many matches against, decides it's time for them to move on. But I'm sure he'll embrace this next stage of his life with the same standards he's shown out there for all these years.
The third and fourth set, I felt I was a bit living on the edge with my serve. He was getting a lot of good swings at it, had me under a lot of pressure. But the fifth, I had a few good easy hold games and started to relax a little bit more and hit my spots a little bit better, so that helped me to relax on my return games, as well.
In your first match it's always a bit awkward, it's the new year and you're getting used to conditions,