The beginning of the end........for Agassi?????

[BreakPoint]

Agassi just pulled out of Wimbledon. Is this the beginning of the end for him? I remember when Sampras pulled out of Wimbledon last year, it was clearly the final nail in his coffin.

 

[Max G.]

Maybe it IS the beginning of the end.

But he definitely has the potential to go out with a bang, like Sampras did. He still has the potential to go all the way at a Slam.

 

[unkast]

Hard to say, but I bet he's 99% sure he's going to play the hardcourts over the summer.

If he crashed out in the 1st round at the next US and AUS Opens (this won't happen), I bet he'd retire before Wimbledon 2005, but on the other hand I could easily see him giving it another go in 2005 if he makes a run to a final in one of those two.

 

[Stinkdyr]

hmm, sounds like the end of the end. sweep out the old, bring in the new already!

 

[Matt H.]

to be honest, i've come to grips that Agassi will not be playing the 2006 season.


I think next year will be his final year, or he'll retire after his next slam win.

 

[Joe Oldschool]

The thing I can't understand is that he said the surface was contributing to his hip injury. Grass is pretty soft. Does he think he can make a run at the hard courts this summer?

I think the hip injury may be a cover for the fact that he has recently had some pretty humiliating losses. It may be the end.

 

[pound cat]

Wasn't this thread here about 4 years ago?

 

[Ariel]

The thing I can't understand is that he said the surface was contributing to his hip injury. Grass is pretty soft. Does he think he can make a run at the hard courts this summer?

I think the hip injury may be a cover for the fact that he has recently had some pretty humiliating losses. It may be the end.

Is not the surface and the relation with the impact in the body, are the low bouncing balls and how low you have to stay to reach them.

That being said, there has to be a component of pride due to recent losses and the need to regroup before the hard court seasson, that will include the olimpics. But to be honest, I doubt Andre will go the Athens, he will focus on the US open, that's how he wants to retire.

 

[Mikael]

Not a cool move by Agassi unless he's injured. Last year he promised he'd come back to Wimbledon this year.

 

[drakulie]

Agassi respects and loves playing Wimbledon so much, I doubt it is about his pride(his recent losses), wanting to prepare for the hardcourt season or other. He must really be hurt.

Watching him play at the French, I kept thinking something was wrong, because even on a bady day, Agassi finds a way to be extremely competitive with even the top players.

He was slow, sluggish, consistently out of position, etc. This guy was not doing anything spectacular. I know he had not been playing tournaments, but he definitely had been practicing.

Anyway, kind of sad to know the inevitable is happening (retirement), especially with very little charismatic players on the tour, especially on the US side (Other than the Bryan Brothers) .

 

[Phil]

Exactly, Pound Cat. He's been injured before and it was not, obviously, the end. This COULD be the beginning of the end, but that end will be long and drawn out, because I doubt Agassi wants to go out with a whimper.

 

[AndyC]

I really don't see him coming back to Wimbledon next year.. which is a pity.. someone who has won all 4 GS events should be afforded that recognition at each and every event before he retires.

 

[pound cat]

Like Goran, Andre's life is tennis (sorry Steffi & children) Goran, being who he is keeping the fans abreast of what's going on, his plans, his pains, his goal, and Andre is just playng poorly, getting upset, I'm sure down on himself, and making his imminent retirement drawn out & excriciatingly painful for himself & giving rise to criticism from fans. Sampras just stopped playing & said little. 3 different players handling the end of a career in 3 different ways according to their personalities.

 

[larrhall]

I do not believe this is THE end and I hope it's not. Maybe it will give him motivation to do well in Australia one more time as well. To me, that's the perfect ending for him, no matter how he does at the US. Train for Oz and give it his best. The Aussie fans love him. Say goodbye.

The guy is amazing.

 

[pound cat]

I think Andre said goodbye, but I hope I'm wrong for the sake of Aussie fans .

 

[Camilio Pascual]

Definitely the beginning of the end. The end may not come until late 2006 and not until after he wins 1 or 2 US Opens or Ozzies, but it will be here within 2-1/2 years.
Remember Pete's end? He went from Wimby 2000 until US Open 2002 without winning a single tournament.