Aggassi / Baghdatis

[superman1]

Someone will always find the negative in everything positive. Do you realize that Baghdatis had LEFT the stadium at that point? Agassi gave him all the credit he deserved when they shook hands and talked and hugged (almost looked like they were going to kiss). When Baghdatis was saying those nice things, Agassi was smiling and thanked Baghdatis with his eyes. McEnroe pretty much said everything that needed to be said about Baghdatis ("We hope you also have a long career"). And Agassi, who you say only thinks about himself, first and foremost thanked the crowd for everything.

 

[Ultra2HolyGrail]

Baggy shoulda won, he was up a BP and then started cramping.. agassi couldn't even hold against a limping baggy.. man thats sad the match had to end like that and even sadder that the NY crowd was booing baggy! He deserved the win and woulda win!

What are you talkin baggy should of won, it was 4-4 5th set when he started cramping. Break point so what, dont mean he would of won that point, and if he did it did not guarantee a service hold to win the match. Agassi was playing very good i thought in that 5th, playing on pure adrenalin.. All them drop shots took their toll on the 21yr old. Bag should of did better to let it get to 4-4. Agassi deserves win, tooth and nail the whole way.

 

[shinta]

How have opinions of Agassi/Baghdatis changed after the match

Just curious how tonight's match affected peoples' opinions of Agassi and Baghdatis.

Like both players more?
Like one player more, one player less?
No change?

 

[superman1]

And you don't think Agassi who was up 2 sets and had 4-0 deserved to win? Baghdatis gets the first break in the 5th set, then Agassi comes back and breaks him back. It was dead even.

Whoever wins deserves the win. In order to win, you have to beat the other guy. That's why they have matches. So the best man wins.

 

[BiGGieStuFF]

Agassi did mention bagdhatis raised his game. I caught that in the interview. Also caught Andre saying his back wasn't the problem but his throat, breathing was. Hinting towards choking Andre?

 

[wildbill88AA]

no, but maybe of new york.

 

[MasterTS]

And you don't think Agassi who was up 2 sets and had 4-0 deserved to win?

Look at the poll results.. u tell me if I'm being crazy or if the public is with me?

 

[Mick]

agassi did not play very well after baghdatis got cramped. He barely won some of the games. it seemed to me like he didn't know how take advantage of the situation.

 

[BiGGieStuFF]

I liked both players. Bagdhatis is a good kid and has a lot of heart. Really likeable. He came out nervous and was doing well to bang his way into the match. Was a little tight early and Agassi was just clean. Andre's game dropped a little and wasn't banging as hard and Bags slowed it down a little and took a little pace off the ball and went for more and it paid off. Unfortunate that he started cramping. He could have pulled off the comeback but Andre should have closed it out in the 4th being up 4-0

 

[BaseLineBash]

agassi did not play very well after baghdatis got cramped. He barely won some of the games. it seemed to me like he didn't know how take advantage of the situation.

Agassi wan't hitting as big as he was the first two sets, the back definately came into play without a doubt.

 

[vicnan]

If Baghdatis had won *and* did not praise Andre explicitly in his interview, he would have been roasted alive by the crowd and the media.

 

[Mick]

Agassi wan't hitting as big as he was the first two sets, the back definately came into play without a doubt.

If that was the case then that would explain it.

 

[superman1]

He made some unforced errors, but his stategy to run Baghdatis even more wasn't working. He was going crosscourt and Baghdatis, cramps and all, was moving just fine and playing better than ever. Agassi was distracted. It's a very tough situation to deal with. I recall the same thing in a Serena Williams/Sharapova match once. Williams was limping around, Sharapova got distracted, and Williams started reeling off games.

Agassi was the last man standing, literally. The last man standing is the winner. Credit to Baghdatis' balls, what a fighter, but Agassi is the even bigger fighter. His back problems are far more serious than cramps.

 

[VolklVenom]

after game,
like bags
hate agassi

 

[Mick]

before this match, i thought nadal was the greatest fighter in men's tennis (for his come backs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon) but after watching this match, i have to rank him behind baghdatis.

 

[Regulator]

Ya ya but its his last run man give Andre his space.

 

[shinta]

I think I remember Agassi mentioning something along the lines of it being unfortunate that the match had to end with the other guy in so much pain...

 

[lude popper]

Agassi gave him all the credit he deserved when they shook hands and talked and hugged (almost looked like they were going to kiss).

who said the night was over?

 

[beernutz]

Cyprus and Iran are not in the same part of the world. In fact, their historical and cultural hertiages are different.

I think most people describe both Cyprus and Iran as being in the Middle East, do they not?

The OP didn't say anything about their historical and cultural heritages.

 

[wimble10]

crap match

 

[vicnan]

After the game,

Baghdatis -- way way higher
Agassi -- about the same
McEnroe -- a notch lower for some low brow comments
NY crowd -- crass.. what next, will NYers beat the opponent so Andre wins?

 

[jlspeed29]

^^haha nice one!

I really enjoyed this match a great deal,
This just goes to show that tennis is a great sport! Excellent sportsmanship on both AA and Bag!

I dont think youd see that kind of crap in other sports where the opponents/teams really wanna kick each others asses!...lol

Great Match!

 

[ThePlungerMan]

crap match

what happened? i fell asleep at 5-5 in the 5th

 

[superman1]

CBS just showed a clip of Agassi limping down the hallway to the press conference. Ouch. That's more guts than anything Baghdatis went through. I really hope he can get a lot of sleep and recover by tomorrow.

 

[hoosierbr]

As for Andre not paying Baghdatis any respect in his interview MONDAY, after beating Pavel, the first thing he said about Bags was that he was one of the guys that you'd pay to watch.

You can't blame Andre for soaking up all that emotion after the match and forgetting to mention Marcos when he wasn't asked. As I recall, you can check the tape, Baghdatis neglected to congratulate Roger Federer during the trophy presentation after the Aussie Open Final. Does that make him a jackass as well?

 

[malakas]

As for Andre not paying Baghdatis any respect in his interview MONDAY, after beating Pavel, the first thing he said about Bags was that he was one of the guys that you'd pay to watch.

You can't blame Andre for soaking up all that emotion after the match and forgetting to mention Marcos when he wasn't asked. As I recall, you can check the tape, Baghdatis neglected to congratulate Roger Federer during the trophy presentation after the Aussie Open Final. Does that make him a jackass as well?

No,because then Marcos asked for the microphone right after to say congratulations to Roger.
Plus,it was his biggest success.Ever.Agassi certainly has more experience than Baggy and many more emotional wins under his belt,no? He has much more experience,as much a tennis player could get,to making those emotional post-match interviews...

[And Marcos will be probably now celebrating!!!!!!!!!! ]

 

[dmvprof]

i know we tend to overanalyze this sort of stuff . . . but do you really have to be prompted by the interviewer in order to give credit to a valiant opponent?? come on now, it's called being gracious. the FIRST thing he should have done was acknowledge bags, and then soak in all the adulation. i mean, after all he was getting support ALL NIGHT LONG. it was bags who had to fight him AND the crowd. the fans never gave bags his due during the match (that obligatory applause once their man, agassi had won the match don't really count. it's easy to be gracious when you've won). so agassi should have been full of praise for bags in the interview. especially seeing as how bags was so gracious in defeat in speaking of agassi and his accomplishments. and considering that bags is actually a FAN of agassi's!

You really have a chip on your shoulder about Agassi. What gives. It's getting really old. Can't you give the man a little bit of respect. If for nothing else than he's by far the most philanthropic tennis player ever. These petty criticisms about him, at this point in his career just seem pathetic.

 

[dmvprof]

No, Cyprus is not in the Middle East! It is a member of the EU.

Do you rank Greece as being Middle Eastern too?? Or even Turkey?

Man, the ignorance of some people here is just too hard to stomach! It's unbelievable! My advice: when in doubt, keep silent. When too sure, doubt yourself.

Hey nutbrain. Cyprus is considered in the Middle east. Look at a map.

From wiki...

Middle East defines a cultural area, so it does not have precise borders. The most common and highly arbitrary definition includes: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Palestine.

 

[malakas]

Hey nutbrain. Cyprus is considered in the Middle east. Look at a map.

From wiki...

Geographically,Cyprus belongs to Asia.
BUT,culturally,historically,ethnically to Europe.The people that live on the island (on ALL the island) ARE europeans.NOT asians.
With the join of the EU,of the legal state,I thought this would be more obvious..

Wiki says that culturally Cyprus belongs to Middle East????Gosh! :roll:

 

[beernutz]

No, Cyprus is not in the Middle East! It is a member of the EU.

Do you rank Greece as being Middle Eastern too?? Or even Turkey?

Man, the ignorance of some people here is just too hard to stomach! It's unbelievable! My advice: when in doubt, keep silent. When too sure, doubt yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus#Geography

First paragraph in the Geography section. Maybe you should take your own advice?

 

[dmvprof]

Unbelievable, Look at a map. It is situated smack dab in the Middle East.

Cyprus is geographically situated in the eastern Mediterranean and just south of the Anatolian peninsula (or Asia Minor) of the Asian mainland; thus, it is commonly included in the Middle East...snip....

Politically and culturally, however, it is closely aligned with Europe – particularly Greece and Turkey. Historically, Cyprus has been at the crossroads between Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, with lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, and British influences. Thus, it is generally considered a transcontinental island.

So Geographically it's in the Middle East. Politically and culturally it's aligned with Europe.

Seems to confirm exactly what I said. Since the "Middle East" does refer to a geographic area.

 

[Nuke]

Did Agassi really win?

ESPN currently has an article posted that says Agassi lost last night. Oops.

"On late Thursday night, Andre Agassi bowed out of the U.S. Open and more notably, out of professional tennis."

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/listranker?id=574

 

[malakas]

Unbelievable, Look at a map. It is situated smack dab in the Middle East.


So Geographically it's in the Middle East. Politically and culturally it's aligned with Europe.

Seems to confirm exactly what I said. Since the "Middle East" does refer to a geographic area.

Well..I don't see any difference from what I posted above..

Anyway..do you know that Marcos is half-Lebanese??(Which is geographically AND culturally/historically in Middle East)
His father fled Lebanon and settled to Cyprus and changed his name to Baghdatis.(Don't know what was before)
So..Marcos and Andre have indeed many things in common in relation to their father's history.

Also,his father was too obssesed with tennis.He tried to make all his sons tennis players..even his younger sister.
And didn't hesitate at all to send little Marcos all aloneto France when he was only 14 even though he couldn't speak a word in French..Just like Andre's father send his son alone to an academy far away from home.

hehe..hopefully Marcos will become (half) as great as Andre too!!:mrgreen:

 

[dmvprof]

Sorry Malakas, I was responding to Beernutz.

I think the paralells are interesting. I do like Bags. His smile lights up a place. He seems to wear his emotions on his sleeve. I think that can be a good and a bad thing though.

Any thoughts on the amount of errors. I think they were forced. Agassi was just pounding shots at him relentlessly. Working the court like a surgeon.

 

[Nuke]

I doubt it. I think an ESPN person wrote the story, intending to post it when Agassi lost, but jumped the gun. It's like the famous "Dewey defeats Truman" headline.

 

[Nuke]

ESPN has another "Agassi Lost" article posted at http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/quiz?event_id=2398

"Andre Agassi's career came to a close with his second-round defeat at the hands of Marcos Baghdatis, the No. 8 seed in the U.S. Open."

Looks like the ESPN writer was ready for Andre to pack it in last night.

 

[guygee]

Good chance TS Ernesto gives Agassi an extra day or two to recover. He is going to need it. Personally, I would rather see him end his career deeper in the tournament than having to bow out against 112th ranked B. Becker.

 

[rayu89]

Don't worry he won

 

[jaykay]

Agassi is hurt...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/01/sports/tennis/01tennis.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&th&emc=th

QUOTE
"NEW YORK, Sept. 1 — It was 1:45 in the morning on Friday, and Andre Agassi was hobbling toward the exit of the National Tennis Center after one of the finest performances of a career that is not quite over, after all. But though Agassi had found a way to fight through fatigue and overcome the eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis in five routinely thrilling sets, he could not find a way to make it all the way to the gate."

"He grabbed at the back of his leg and then slumped to the sidewalk, stretching out on his back with a plastic DVD case under his bald head for a pillow: trying to alleviate the pain."

......

"But this match was far, far from over, and Agassi would break Baghdatis back in the very next game and then stay strong enough to the finish. It was only after it ended that he looked like the more vulnerable man as he lay there on his back in the darkness."

"But Agassi eventually picked himself up - slowly - off the sidewalk and limped out the exit to a waiting sport utility vehicle with his brother Phil, coach Darren Cahill and several security guards hovering nervously."

"The vehicle eventually pulled away with Agassi inside."

"Moments later, Baghdatis appeared, his eyes still red from crying, and walked with no problem along the same stretch of pavement. Told what had just happened, he shook his head and muttered a joke amidst the disappointment."

"Agassi," he said, "must be out of shape."
UNQUOTE

Jeez... I hope Agassi recovers to play his next match... and the one after that...! Hope his back holds up; it appears that the 4-hr match with Baggy did exact a price and AA paid a heavy toll...

 

[MaxT]

If he is fit to play he is fit. I don't like this kind of publicity stunt, in that he is always hurt and somehow emerges as a hero. I never liked this bringing the crowd into it stuff. It is cheating.

Devenport was crying when she defaulted in New Port, saying she was so hurt. And had a rebirth two days later in the Open, winning 0 and 0 in the second round. So much for all this. Let's play ball.

 

[wildbill88AA]

if hes really hurt, he wont play. this aint baseball.

 

[vicnan]

Post-match interview:

http://www.tennis-x.com/story/2006-09-01/h.php

 

[tops'ltennisguy]

He's been taking cortizone injections for three years. I'd say he's hurt.

 

[guygee]

Poll Answer: D. Half-crippled 36 yr. old Agassi outfought cramping 21 yr. old Baghdatis and deserved to win.

Both showed heart and guts. Baghdatis will be cheered greatly by NYers next year.

 

[oldguysrule]

Have you guys ever played a tournament where you leave everything on the court? Sometimes, I can barely move to report the scores, but when it is time for the next match, I will be there. It is normal for Agassi to be very sore and cramping after the match. Give him a couple of days and he will be back. He will probably still be stiff and sore but when they roll the balls out, he will be there.

 

[Ripper]

If he is fit to play he is fit. I don't like this kind of publicity stunt, in that he is always hurt and somehow emerges as a hero. I never liked this bringing the crowd into it stuff. It is cheating.

Devenport was crying when she defaulted in New Port, saying she was so hurt. And had a rebirth two days later in the Open, winning 0 and 0 in the second round. So much for all this. Let's play ball.

Lol, you're post reminded me of the WWF (World Wrestling Federation... or whatever name they go by these days) and all the fake drama that goes on there. It would be sad if tennis converted into that, but you know what? Tennis is not like that, at all. The fact that you see some of these pro tennis players emerging as heros, after a difficult moment, is due to their huge hearts... well, many of them, anyway...

Edit: During my younger years, I used to like "wrestling" and, even, defended it's autenticity. Boy, was I inmature and dumb I still like heavy metal, though

 

[johnkidd]

I thought he looked liked he was hobbling when he went to hit the balls into the stands after the match. I though to myself he's going to be in some pain in the morning. He'll get treatment today and they'll have him ready for tomorrow night. No offense to Benjamin Becker but if he is anywhere near fit it should be almost like a practice match for Agassi compared to his first two matches. Plus I think unlike Bags who has had GS experience and Pavel who is a vetern Becker may feel the weight of the moment which will help Andre.

 

[slice bh compliment]

Well..I don't see any difference from what I posted above..

Anyway..do you know that Marcos is half-Lebanese??(Which is geographically AND culturally/historically in Middle East)
His father fled Lebanon and settled to Cyprus and changed his name to Baghdatis.(Don't know what was before)
So..Marcos and Andre have indeed many things in common in relation to their father's history.

Also,his father was too obssesed with tennis.He tried to make all his sons tennis players..even his younger sister.
And didn't hesitate at all to send little Marcos all aloneto France when he was only 14 even though he couldn't speak a word in French..Just like Andre's father send his son alone to an academy far away from home.

hehe..hopefully Marcos will become (half) as great as Andre too!!:mrgreen:

Allez Baghassi!! That was something special.

Lots of parallels, for sure.
One is half Lebanese and half Greek-Cypriot, the other is half Armenian-Iranian and half "Americano", the fathers, the academies, the dyed hair, the thick black eyebrows, the charisma, the big smiles, taking the ball early....Marcos went to France, Andre has a Frech name. Coincidence?

Oh, why do people get all bent out of shape with the gray areas, geographically and culturally? What's the big deal?

Is it Religion? Is it politics.......or is it food?
Marcos is Orthodox, I know Dre's Christian (assuming his dad is Armenyan Orthodox Christian -- one of the oldest Christian church bodies in the world).
I think Greek food has as much in common with middle eastern food as it does with continental or Italian food.

Well, it's the Mediterranean. Crossroads of civilization for several centuries. Why all the stress and the pigeon-holing? We all brothers and sisters.

 

[Gilgamesh]

I don't see how AA fakes injury to create a story.

The guy probably didn't want to show he was hurting during the match or his opponent might take advantage or he just had a delayed muscle soreness reaction which hurts much worst and can have bigger ramifications on future performance. Agassi bowing out due to injury is the worst way to leave.

 

[guygee]

Great post Slice. Unfortunately most of us in the U.S. have it drilled into our heads by the corporate media that the term "Middle East" means something more than just an arbitrarily defined geographic description.