Agassi The Book Blog

2010 Australian Open

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:35:29 +0000

Well, Roger did it again. The Swiss tennis legend showed he was still the master of the game for this first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Not only did he win, but he won with style. He handled Lleyton Hewitt with ease, and showed he had the guts of a true champion when he rallied to defeat an in-form Davydenko in four sets. I thought the first set and a half were the best tennis the Russian had ever displayed in his career. I thought he was going to blow Federer off the court in straight sets. in the other quarterfinal, even though Jo-Willy Tsonga is my countryman, I still think Novak Djokovic is a better and more consistent player overall. I am pretty sure Novak would have done better against Federer.
In regard to Andy Murray, I am one of those who think he will need, and should do more than defend to win a major title. That defensive game will not cut it against the very best. In the near future, it will not necessarily be Federer, but Del Potro or Cilic who will overpower him. Yes, he is quick, consistent, and has the soul of a champion, but nowadays, it takes more than defense and consistancy to win.
On the women’s side, I was thrilled to see Serena Williams win and shut up all those who have tried to bring her down for any reason. I think Serena did not even play her best tennis throughout the tournament, but she did come up with the goods when she needed it the most.
Finally, as always, I would like to come back 10 years ago and remember one of Andre Agassi’s most memorable Grand Slam titles. En route for his second Australian Open title, Andre defeated local hero Mark Philippoussis in a fierce battle, dismantled Hicham Arazi in the quarters, and most importantly, played one of the best and most perfect tennis matches ever, defeating long time rival Pete Sampras in an epic battle, 6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6 6-1. The stats which are in my book are just mesmerizing.

End of the year / Masters’ Cup

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:34:24 +0000

Well, what an exciting year it was, and what a fascinating year we are about to start. When, at the end of 2008, journalists asked “Who do you think will end the year 2009 #1 in the world, many thought Rafa Nadal would be the one. Some like me thought Roger Federer would do it. Roger has an absolutely fantastic game. It is effortless, and he has many options in his game. Andy Murray remains among the top 5 players to watch out for in 2010 even though I really don’t like his game and find it rather boring. Ok, killing the pace can be a good thing against many hard hitters, and it works great when you’re quick and can counterpunch the way Andy does, but I just think he is boring to watch and doesn’t create much at all… Now mark my words, I will bet Juan Martin del Porto will finish 2010 #1 in the world. He has an amazing game and I am pretty sure he will overpower just about everybody on the tour. Another prediction: Rafa Nadal will fall out of the top 5. My bet is he will finish between 6 and 8.

I can’t finish the year without looking back ten years ago. 1999 was Andre’s year. After winning the Paris Open against Safin in 4 sets, et reached the Masters’ Cup final after crushing Pete Sampras in the round robin competition, but losing to Pete badly in the final.

2009 US Open

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:52:42 +0000

Before the tournament, I, like many others, thought there were five major contenders for the title: Federer, Murray, Del Potro, Djokovic, and Nadal. I intentionally wrote Nadal last as I didn’t think he was in the best position to win the title. I am not surprised at all Del Potro won the tournament as he had shown and strong, constant, and powerful he had been along the year. His groundstrokes penetrate the air at a pace rarely seen before (except for my Master, Andre Agassi, of course!), flat, and close to the lines. It really explains why he destroyed Nadal the way he did. In regard to his match to Nadal, it is important to note that Nadal’s topspin is not so affective against a 6′6” player. Hat’s off to Del Potro! Why? Simply because I had not seen Roger Federer play so well with so much confidence since 2005. Juan Martin can be proud to say he beat the best Roger Federer.

The case for Serena Williams

I would really like to take the time to give my opinion on the now famous Serena Williams “outburst”. I do not understand all those who have hurried to condemn her for her behavior. I would like to know how all those who have criticized her would have reacted in her position. Serena is an amazing player, probably the toughest opponent to close out a match against. The last two points on such a tight match, on Serena’s serve (the best on the tour) would have been the hardest ones for Kim Clijsters to win. I am not saying Kimmy would not have done it. There is a good chance she would have won it, but we will never know. Calling a foot fault on a second serve at 5-6 and 15-30 in the second set is no coincidence (unless Serena was unlucky enough to come across a stupid, ignorant, and retarded lines woman), but no, I don’t think it was a coincidence. My guess is that the lineswoman wanted to make sure Serena would lose, and decided to call a foot fault on her knowing there was nothing she would be able to do except curse at her. At such a crucial moment in the match, instead of admitting that she was wrong, Jim Curley and the WTA found it wise to simply get rid of Serena Williams. If you consider that my philosophy is right, that is to say that when a government acts to oppress the people in an unfair manner, the people is entitled to rebel. I believe it applies to sports in general. You should know very few people would watch women’s tennis if it wasn’t for the Williams sisters. What should we say about John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors? Was it ok for them to break a photographer’s camera or to curse at the empire? How about Roger Federer using fowl language when arguing with the empire during the final? I don’t blame Roger. I think it’s ok for a player to argue and get mad when they are not treated fairly. They are human beings, not robbots. Give them a break!

Hollywood ressemblance

admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:34:28 +0000

Have any of you ever noticed the ressemblance betwen the following players and these Hollywood stars?

How about the ressemblance between Juan Martin del Potro (http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/tennis/?p=1335) and Heroes’ antihero Sylar (http://www.heroesfanatic.com/gallery/new-sylar/).

How about Radek Stepanek (http://www.tennis-x.com/playerpictures/Radek-Stepanek.php) and Alan Harper (http://www.tv.com/jon-cryer/person/1243/viewer.html?ii=3&grti=104&gri=1243&flag=) from Two and a half men?

Finally, do you, like me, find a striking ressemblance between Marat Safin (http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/R1UTBDq5r7z/2009+Hopman+Cup+Day+7/AlTDFYrAuac/Marat+Safin) and doctor Eric Dane from Grey’s Anatomy?

2009 Australian Open

admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:51:33 +0000

This 2009 Australian Open was quite a thrill to watch. I was absolutely stunned by Amer Delic’s game (especially his gorgeous one-handed backhand). Also, hat’s off to carla Suarez Navarro: her one handed backhand is also a rare beauty.
I am also glad Fernando Verdasco is finally playing at his full potential. You have to wonder sometimes what makes the difference for such a talented player to finally break through. Is it his encounter last winter with my idole, Andre Agassi? Or is it simply the wise words of Gil Reyes, Andre’s former physical trainer?
As for the men’s final, what can I say? I think Roger Federer with what seemed to be a physical advantage. However, Rafa Nadal seems to be playing better tennis every time he steps on a tennis court. He really got into Federer’s mind. It is not as if Federer doesn’t have the game to beat Nadal. He does. It is a question of confidence.

Hello world!

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:29:01 +0000

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