agassi sure has changed

big ted · 09-06-2004, 10:28 PM

THE ARTICLES ACTUALLY ABOUT LENDL BUT IT MENTIONS AGASSI TOO. ITS KINDA LONG BUT ITS STILL PRETTY GOOD I THINK

New York / June 26, 1989

Obsession

Ivan Lendl's Lonely Quest for Perfection

It was about three in the afternoon, and Ivan Lendl had walked into the lobby of a Hilton hotel in suburban Atlanta, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and running shoes. He was there for an exhibition tournament, and he'd just raced through a match against the Ecuadoran Andres Gomez. The workout wasn't sufficient: Now Lendl intended to take a three- or four-mile run.

As he walked toward the parking lot, Lendl met Andre Agassi, the young sensation who blew into the top five in the world in 1988 but has yet to win a tournament this year. Agassi was hanging out with a player named Derrick Rostagno.

"Hey, Ivan, how ya doin'?" Agassi said. Lendl, six foot two and very soldi, towered over Agassi, who is five foot ten and borders on the frail. Agassi looked as if he might ask Lendl for an autograph. Lendl looked as if he might not give him one.

"Ya wanna seee the car I'm gonna buy?" Agassi asked, tagging along. "I've been working out. I got a trainer who's traveling with me. Next year, I'm gonna have legs like you."

"You need a trainer at home, not on the road," Lendl said, conclusively. "Have him give you a workout you can take with you. Don't waste your money taking him on the road."

"Nah, he does more than just a workout," said Agassi. "I've even been watching my diet, if you can believe it."

Suddenly, they were standing in front of a huge Winnebago in the far reaches of the lot. It belonged to Rostagno.

"Great, huh?" said Agassi, opening the door and climbing into the driver's seat. "I'm gonna get one of these."

"How can you buy a car, Andre?" Lendle said, smiling. "You're not even old enough to have a driving license."

"Get real," said Agassi.

"How old are you?" said Lendl, enjoying the tease.

"It's my birthday Saturday, I'm gonna be nineteen."

Lendl smiled. "You wanna take a run with us?"

"Nah," said Agassi, still in the driver's seat. "Not right now." Lendl shrugged. It was perhaps 85 degrees and equally humid. Weather that separates the men from the boys. Being fit is one of Lendl's many obsessions, and he wasn't about to take Agassi's nouveau training regimen very seriously. "The guy doesn't do anything for eighteen years," Lendl said as he set off on his run, "and then he thinks he can turn it around in a few weeks. It doesn't work that way." Lendl is even more disdainful of the women players on the tour. Except for Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, he thinks, the women just don't pay attention to fitness. They eat terribly, they camp out in the backcourt and hit moonballs, and they don't move at all. Lendl may hit from the baseline, but he can move. He's fit. You can count on it.

AndyC · 09-07-2004, 01:54 AM

here's another piece that involves Agassi in an oblique fashion (it's really about Sargissian).. I love these character pieces though.. n thanks to the net I can read them from all over the world

. BTW it's obviously been syndicated from the NY Times.. but the Indian Express doesn't require registration

!

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...ntent_id=54583

irishbanger · 09-07-2004, 09:20 AM

Have you seen Ivan lately? Looks like the only running he does now is between McDonalds and Burger King!

Rabbit · 09-07-2004, 11:43 AM

I had the good fortune of meeting Sargis Sargasian when he was playing in college. There was a national event here, the Collegiate Claycourts. I stood at the fence and watched him play. It was really luck at its best as he had not won the NCAA's yet. He was playing a guy from UCLA and while his game was not overwhelming, Sargasian was smoother than silk and faster than a cat.

He was as nice as he could be. And a really impressive young man. At the time the thought crossed my mind that he would be a professional, but one never knows.

Pro_Tour_630 · 09-07-2004, 12:54 PM

I had the good fortune of almost playing against SS in the QF at a tounry in the early 90's before he even came to the US. We tried to speak to him but he could not speak a word of english at the time. We understood he was playing with cracked Revelation tours because he could not afford new tennis racquets. He came to CT thanks to the Mansourian family who sponsored him.

09-06-2004, 10:28 PM	#1
big ted Professional Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,105	agassi sure has changed THE ARTICLES ACTUALLY ABOUT LENDL BUT IT MENTIONS AGASSI TOO. ITS KINDA LONG BUT ITS STILL PRETTY GOOD I THINK New York / June 26, 1989 Obsession Ivan Lendl's Lonely Quest for Perfection It was about three in the afternoon, and Ivan Lendl had walked into the lobby of a Hilton hotel in suburban Atlanta, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and running shoes. He was there for an exhibition tournament, and he'd just raced through a match against the Ecuadoran Andres Gomez. The workout wasn't sufficient: Now Lendl intended to take a three- or four-mile run. As he walked toward the parking lot, Lendl met Andre Agassi, the young sensation who blew into the top five in the world in 1988 but has yet to win a tournament this year. Agassi was hanging out with a player named Derrick Rostagno. "Hey, Ivan, how ya doin'?" Agassi said. Lendl, six foot two and very soldi, towered over Agassi, who is five foot ten and borders on the frail. Agassi looked as if he might ask Lendl for an autograph. Lendl looked as if he might not give him one. "Ya wanna seee the car I'm gonna buy?" Agassi asked, tagging along. "I've been working out. I got a trainer who's traveling with me. Next year, I'm gonna have legs like you." "You need a trainer at home, not on the road," Lendl said, conclusively. "Have him give you a workout you can take with you. Don't waste your money taking him on the road." "Nah, he does more than just a workout," said Agassi. "I've even been watching my diet, if you can believe it." Suddenly, they were standing in front of a huge Winnebago in the far reaches of the lot. It belonged to Rostagno. "Great, huh?" said Agassi, opening the door and climbing into the driver's seat. "I'm gonna get one of these." "How can you buy a car, Andre?" Lendle said, smiling. "You're not even old enough to have a driving license." "Get real," said Agassi. "How old are you?" said Lendl, enjoying the tease. "It's my birthday Saturday, I'm gonna be nineteen." Lendl smiled. "You wanna take a run with us?" "Nah," said Agassi, still in the driver's seat. "Not right now." Lendl shrugged. It was perhaps 85 degrees and equally humid. Weather that separates the men from the boys. Being fit is one of Lendl's many obsessions, and he wasn't about to take Agassi's nouveau training regimen very seriously. "The guy doesn't do anything for eighteen years," Lendl said as he set off on his run, "and then he thinks he can turn it around in a few weeks. It doesn't work that way." Lendl is even more disdainful of the women players on the tour. Except for Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, he thinks, the women just don't pay attention to fitness. They eat terribly, they camp out in the backcourt and hit moonballs, and they don't move at all. Lendl may hit from the baseline, but he can move. He's fit. You can count on it.

09-07-2004, 11:43 AM	#4
Rabbit G.O.A.T. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: at the bottom of every hill I come to Posts: 11,150	I had the good fortune of meeting Sargis Sargasian when he was playing in college. There was a national event here, the Collegiate Claycourts. I stood at the fence and watched him play. It was really luck at its best as he had not won the NCAA's yet. He was playing a guy from UCLA and while his game was not overwhelming, Sargasian was smoother than silk and faster than a cat. He was as nice as he could be. And a really impressive young man. At the time the thought crossed my mind that he would be a professional, but one never knows. __________________ Wilson Steam 99S poly Luxilon 4G 1.25 @ 45

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