GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 11, 1996

Andre Agassi

ANDRE AGASSI: Now, you know, when I match up with Michael, it seems like there's a lot of moments where momentum swings quickly and for short spurts. I went on -- I got up a couple games, and then he went back even, and it looked like he was going to run and I managed to stop that one. Like in the breaker I got up two points, he went up 4-2, I went up 7-4. It seems like that's a pretty strong pattern that we have. And, you know, because I think what we do we both do so well, that when we feel that little bit of extra desire or intensity, it gets the job done. And I just felt like I needed to stop him there. I just felt like I needed to survive a hole and made some good first serves at the right time.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. I mean, it was definitely a pivotal one. But it wasn't THE. I mean, there was a few other moments in the tiebreaker that it could have gone his way. You know, I could have -- I could have possibly have finished out the second a little quicker. There are a couple of times where if it had gone in one favor or another, it might have changed it.

ANDRE AGASSI: Gosh, I played him so many times. Uhmm, I know there's only between twice that the person who had actually won the first set, and I think both those times I had won the first set and lost. Am I right?

ANDRE AGASSI: No.

ANDRE AGASSI: I just think he's a very, you know, intense player. He's tough to put away, and he's tough to come back on, you know. I mean, all the way around, you've got to figure with today's power in the game, to be Michael's size and to be competing with the best in the world and be fighting for the best in the world is quite an accomplishment. There has to be an asset. And his speed and his tenacity and his competitiveness and his mental strength is strong. He's a strong competitor. And any strong competitor is going to put you away or not let you out of it. And he does both of those well.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I mean, I feel like with the question the way it's turned around, you want me to say I had this dream and when I woke up I was inspired again. It's been a long road. And I've worked so hard at it. And I've gotten through some tough matches over the last three weeks that I could have easily have lost. And so it takes a lot of hard work and it takes a little bit of luck for it to turn around. But it has to turn around at some point if you stay dedicated to it.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yes. I've been working on it since Wimbledon, at least. I got back on the hard courts, which is a nice plays. I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to get my game together there. It's easier than me trying to get my game together on the grass or clay.

ANDRE AGASSI: Absolutely.

ANDRE AGASSI: It doesn't mean anything.

ANDRE AGASSI: I know that when we play at two set match, there's going to be three or four breaker serves. If we played a three set match, there might be six or eight breaks at serve. So it's not like either one of us goes out there and expects to hold serve the whole time and gets discouraged if we get broken. Every game you have a shot of breaking Michael and every game he has a shot at breaking me. I just can't overpower him with the serve and volley. So we're going to have a lot of duels from the back court. And in a lot of ways it's like women's tennis, you know, you're up a hole.

ANDRE AGASSI: I think Chang and Kafelnikov have definitely made some incredible strides forward this year. And I think both those guys are going to need to be reckoned with in every major championship, and both those guys in my opinion should be in the last part of the tournament. In my opinion, those are the best players right there. And depending what surface you're on, obviously there's Boris can play well on the grass and occasionally at the Open.

ANDRE AGASSI: We haven't thought much about that. I kind of saved those little touches of your place in history. I hold them very dear, certainly. But by the same token, I think this has meant a lot more to me than just winning a second title here. It's a great way to keep my momentum and to show -- prove to myself that I am back, that I can win the big one, the big matches. And obviously I could prove it to the other guys on the other side of the net. It makes your life a lot easier when you know that you're going to do that to him. And I think accomplishing that here is in perfect time for the Open.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. Just a question of when.

ANDRE AGASSI: Okay, I won a gold medal and I just won a tournament, you're talking as if I'm the best player in the world again. It's like if I lose next week, and lose first round in the Open, all of a sudden I've lost what I have and I'll never make it. Either way I don't go there, see? I never went as far as it was taken well, what's the matter, what's the matter with me. And I'm certainly not going to act like I can't go out there and lose again tomorrow. I have the desire, I have -- like I said all year long, I have a desire to play the game. I love the game, but I'm struggling to the point where it's not easy when you've played a certain level of tennis to be out there struggling. You know, when I know that I can break somebody three times a match minimum, and I go out there and I can't convert break points, it's like I've hit a level that you've got to be somewhere near it to be inspired on a motivational level sometimes when you're in the grid of a match. And I've been very discouraged with the way I've been playing. And it's not something I've been used to. But, you know, I'll spend the rest of my career proving to people that I can be a champion and that I'm able to win. I mean, that's something that is a reflection of a person's character and what it is they're trying to accomplish. And I'll be the first one to admit it when I've had enough, when I've said you know what, that's it for me. But this year has been a struggle, but that's all it's been.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I'm the one just fending off these questions, so you tell me. I mean, from what I -- I don't feel I need to prove it for myself. But it just makes my life off court a lot easier when you do go out and there and do what other people expect you to do. And if you're not, it's -- it's a grind because, you know, it's just a constant well, could this be a slump? You're only as good your last win or loss, and I think that -- I just think that that's not respectful to a lot of -- to a lot of athletes.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, just -- more the media than anything. I don't want to get personal with you and all, but...

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I don't really feel the pressure of sponsorships. You know, I think when you've been in the public eye for, you know, ten years, you've already proven yourself. And a company like Pepsi doesn't put their hopes on somebody who might just blow down, you know, their whole reputation by falling off the face of the planet. After a while companies learn to understand what it is they're getting. And I think Nike has done that a long time ago. And that's the kind of support that I've appreciated from them. And there are certainly others that would be affected. But you could only carry so much weight when you're out there trying to play a game.

ANDRE AGASSI: Right.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. I mean, I'm sure they enjoy when I win, I would hope so. I'm sure they don't like it when I lose. I would hope that as well.

ANDRE AGASSI: It is a factor in the sense that I have responsibilities. I mean, these are relationships that I value. And I try to -- I try to address my life with a high level of integrity. Which means okay, I might not need you as you need me. Or there might be times where you might not need me as much as I need you, but let's hope that we're all beyond this and striving for the same thing. And I don't need more publicity. I don't need more money, certainly. I feel like I have ten times what I ever would need. I mean, I've never dreamt of having accomplishing the things I have. And so from here on in it's just a question of taking pride in yourself. And you do that in every aspect of life. And it's just the one that's on the court is in front of a whole lot of people and whole lot of attention and criticism, and you just try to -- you just try to keep your clear vision. It's not easy sometimes.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I go into the Open believing that I can win it, certainly. You know, Kafelnikov has proven that he has what it takes to win a big event, and he's playing well enough. I think he's more susceptible to some losses possibly on the hard court. But I say Pete and myself, Chang and Kafelnikov, in my opinion, would be -- would be leading that -- that race to win it as far as who's playing what at this stage. But, you know, that's why we play the game. We have to go out there and see. I would say there is a group, certainly. I would say there's another group. It's all right there -- I wouldn't say it's open, because I've seen more open tournaments in the past. But it's -- there's no hands down favorite I would imagine.

ANDRE AGASSI: No, I wouldn't put Krajicek there, I would put Boris there because he knows what it takes to raise his level of play. I don't know. It would be surprising if he'd come back after a layoff and do it. You can always put someone like Goran there. If he serves 210 aces in one tournament, I don't care if you're playing on cow dunk, you know. You've got to put -- I have to go through this. But there's a few groups of guys that are strong. I mean, hardcourts, I think, take a toll on Krajicek.

ANDRE AGASSI: Do I consider myself what?

ANDRE AGASSI: No. There's a lot of great players that have played here. Chang has won it twice as well, right?

ANDRE AGASSI: I think as players he's slightly more, I would say, versatile on his ability to change a strategy to somehow find a way to win. You know, if somebody's -- if somebody's game is beating my game, that's a lot more discouraging to me than if somebody's game was beating Chang. I think he has the tenacity and variety to all of a sudden go from playing counterpunch to playing offense to actually serving well occasionally to -- so I think, you know, he tends to want to keep people guessing as what it is he does out there. And I tend to step up to the baseline and say if you can stop what I have to bring, then congratulations. And as individuals, I mean, I wouldn't really know where to start with that. I mean...

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I think so.

ANDRE AGASSI: No.

ANDRE AGASSI: Thank you.

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