I thought this was a good read, so I'll post it for anyone who may be interested.
September 9, 2004
Agassi Has Changed; His Game Hasn't
He ditched the open-air Jeep for another SUV, this one a hard-top with childproof windows and a booster seat in back. When he runs his fingers through his hair these days, they don't get tangled anymore.
The latest commercial also shows him cruising, except not down the Strip in Vegas, like the last one a decade ago. Instead, he's driving through the suburbs at soccer-mom speed.
The Andre Agassi we see today captures the essence of the average dad, picking his son up from the playground.
But don't be fooled. Image isn't everything, for a change. Inside the balding, suddenly spiritual 34-year-old is a rebel who surfaces every now and then on the tennis court. This was the case last night at the U.S. Open, which will not, as some folks speculated, become a retirement watch. That's because Agassi forced the world's No. 1 player to perform like one.
Roger Federer didn't face a fading former champ, but a scrappy, proud player instead. Federer discovered how much Agassi has left when about a dozen Agassi forehands found the lines. On a soggy and otherwise forgettable night, tennis breathed again at the tournament, thanks in large part by a player who, in so many ways, refuses to quit.
When the persistent storm interrupted tennis for the final time, Federer clung to a hard-fought two sets to one lead in a suspended match that, despite the score, was anyone's to win. This was further confirmation that tennis needs Agassi a lot more than vice versa. He's still the sport's top draw and most intriguing figure, although admittedly, that's not particularly hard to do in tennis.
Federer is a solid player and might eventually become the Sampras of his day, but his box-office appeal is strictly due to his ability. Andy Roddick may be young and brash enough to grab the MTV demographic, except his greatest skill is also his main drawback. Basically, watching a guy serve his way through a tournament at 130 miles per hour, though amazing, can get pretty old.
Meanwhile, Agassi can make rain-soaked fans make a U-turn and head back to Arthur Ashe Stadium. When his quarterfinal match with Federer began, there were maybe a handful of hard-cores scattered in the seats. Then Agassi evened up the contest at one set apiece and the word evidently spread, because the place sounded like a sellout. The fans were almost exclusively behind the one player who can keep the buzz going at high pitch for a tournament that's short a few Williams sisters.
For those who chose to stay home and dry, don't worry. You missed a little of Agassi, but not all. He dismissed any thoughts of this being his final Open by announcing he'll return next year. Other than family obligations, he feels no pressure to quit, and instead said he rather enjoys this stage of his career, where he's "playing with house money."
Let's just hope Agassi, when he is prepared to leave, is afforded the same dignified exit as Pete Sampras, his rival, and Steffi Graf, his wife. They went out on their terms. Agassi can't stay on top of his game from January to November anymore. He's more of an every-other-month guy, able to slug it out for a while and thrive on the fitness that allows him to keep a high ranking at an age when other players are on the exhibition tour.
Agassi began slowly this year and looked vulnerable until lately, when he captured wins over Roddick and Federer before the Open and last night found himself three matches from the championship.
His biggest fear is "playing old" but his foot-speed and ground strokes are still good enough to beat almost anybody. Actually, unless it's Roddick or Federer on the other side of the net, Agassi still has a better-than-average chance of winning, especially on the hard courts.
The only two obstacles that'll force him from the game aren't named Roddick or Federer, but Jaden and Jaz, his young son and daughter.
"You're constantly being pulled with priorities," he said, without regrets. "You're constantly having to balance everything that's important to you."
Although Agassi describes fatherhood as "the greatest thing in the world," he clearly isn't ready to make it a full-time job. Not while he can still return the hardest of serves and out-hit anyone from the baseline. So while Sampras and Michael Chang and Jim Courier, the young guns who crashed tennis with him, have already begun their next lives, Agassi continues to play and prosper.
Not even he knows how much longer he can keep it up. But he'd like to make it to Sunday.
September 9, 2004
Agassi Has Changed; His Game Hasn't
He ditched the open-air Jeep for another SUV, this one a hard-top with childproof windows and a booster seat in back. When he runs his fingers through his hair these days, they don't get tangled anymore.
The latest commercial also shows him cruising, except not down the Strip in Vegas, like the last one a decade ago. Instead, he's driving through the suburbs at soccer-mom speed.
The Andre Agassi we see today captures the essence of the average dad, picking his son up from the playground.
But don't be fooled. Image isn't everything, for a change. Inside the balding, suddenly spiritual 34-year-old is a rebel who surfaces every now and then on the tennis court. This was the case last night at the U.S. Open, which will not, as some folks speculated, become a retirement watch. That's because Agassi forced the world's No. 1 player to perform like one.
Roger Federer didn't face a fading former champ, but a scrappy, proud player instead. Federer discovered how much Agassi has left when about a dozen Agassi forehands found the lines. On a soggy and otherwise forgettable night, tennis breathed again at the tournament, thanks in large part by a player who, in so many ways, refuses to quit.
When the persistent storm interrupted tennis for the final time, Federer clung to a hard-fought two sets to one lead in a suspended match that, despite the score, was anyone's to win. This was further confirmation that tennis needs Agassi a lot more than vice versa. He's still the sport's top draw and most intriguing figure, although admittedly, that's not particularly hard to do in tennis.
Federer is a solid player and might eventually become the Sampras of his day, but his box-office appeal is strictly due to his ability. Andy Roddick may be young and brash enough to grab the MTV demographic, except his greatest skill is also his main drawback. Basically, watching a guy serve his way through a tournament at 130 miles per hour, though amazing, can get pretty old.
Meanwhile, Agassi can make rain-soaked fans make a U-turn and head back to Arthur Ashe Stadium. When his quarterfinal match with Federer began, there were maybe a handful of hard-cores scattered in the seats. Then Agassi evened up the contest at one set apiece and the word evidently spread, because the place sounded like a sellout. The fans were almost exclusively behind the one player who can keep the buzz going at high pitch for a tournament that's short a few Williams sisters.
For those who chose to stay home and dry, don't worry. You missed a little of Agassi, but not all. He dismissed any thoughts of this being his final Open by announcing he'll return next year. Other than family obligations, he feels no pressure to quit, and instead said he rather enjoys this stage of his career, where he's "playing with house money."
Let's just hope Agassi, when he is prepared to leave, is afforded the same dignified exit as Pete Sampras, his rival, and Steffi Graf, his wife. They went out on their terms. Agassi can't stay on top of his game from January to November anymore. He's more of an every-other-month guy, able to slug it out for a while and thrive on the fitness that allows him to keep a high ranking at an age when other players are on the exhibition tour.
Agassi began slowly this year and looked vulnerable until lately, when he captured wins over Roddick and Federer before the Open and last night found himself three matches from the championship.
His biggest fear is "playing old" but his foot-speed and ground strokes are still good enough to beat almost anybody. Actually, unless it's Roddick or Federer on the other side of the net, Agassi still has a better-than-average chance of winning, especially on the hard courts.
The only two obstacles that'll force him from the game aren't named Roddick or Federer, but Jaden and Jaz, his young son and daughter.
"You're constantly being pulled with priorities," he said, without regrets. "You're constantly having to balance everything that's important to you."
Although Agassi describes fatherhood as "the greatest thing in the world," he clearly isn't ready to make it a full-time job. Not while he can still return the hardest of serves and out-hit anyone from the baseline. So while Sampras and Michael Chang and Jim Courier, the young guns who crashed tennis with him, have already begun their next lives, Agassi continues to play and prosper.
Not even he knows how much longer he can keep it up. But he'd like to make it to Sunday.
