US OPEN

September 4, 2004

Andre Agassi

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, today was an important day for me because Jiri is the kind of player that requires you to put together a quality match. He does a lot of things really well out there and he makes you make good decisions because if you try to go through him, he really settles in the pace pretty well, and it's hard to get through him. If you play off anything, he's able to take the ball early and redirect it. So I had to make good decisions out there. I served real well today. Felt like I did most things well. I turned a corner that I needed to turn going into the second week. If I can continue that standard, that's pretty good.

ANDRE AGASSI: Oh, you know, to beat somebody like Jiri in straight sets is a great match. You know, had some great wins in Cincinnati, and I consider today another great win.

ANDRE AGASSI: As long as the sport stays mano-a-mano, I mean, you're talking about one person versus another. Give them any rules, and you still got to find a way to get it done. Are you suggesting that the pace of the game has gotten --

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't know. I tell you, a racquet is a very personal thing. You have to grow up with it. I think for any real racquet to make that kind of an impact that needs to be obviously phenomenally powerful, but I also think you need to know it from a young lad. I mean, you can't just sort of pick one up and say, "Geez, I can hit the ball so much harder with this," because you've still got to keep the ball in. And there's still a lot to the sport that requires you to do other things. So until I see a racquet that can win a match for me, I mean, I think it's about the competitors out there.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, the subtleties in a racquet are something that you're highly aware of. If you were to grab my racquet from six years ago, I would notice a clear difference as I've sort of evolved with the weight, the balance, the strings, the technology. You don't want a racquet working against you. You want it sort of lending itself to your style of play. And I don't struggle with power. I sort of need more help when the ball is not quite in my strike zone. And that's where I feel the technology of the LiquidMetal really helps me. It sort of gives me a little bit extra on the shots I'm not hitting quite as perfectly. So I think it's -- I don't know if you would notice a difference if you hit with mine now versus six years ago. I can't sort of speak to that. But I certainly would.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, if I can do that four more times, that would be great. Three sets would be great four more times. What do you think about that? Good plan (smiling)?

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I expected that today. I really did. I go out with every match and expect it to be tough and feel like I need to be ready to step up my game. And it's no different now than when I was 20 years old. I mean, I enjoy getting through the first week uneventfully. But you never know, when you get through that tough match, and that is the match you needed to get through before you go on. Seen people win tournaments down match points in the early rounds. You never know when you need your best tennis. That's why it's always best to save it for when you do.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, well, I haven't done it at 34 yet. And I think it gets tougher every year, from the quality of your opponents to the distractions that exist in your own life. You're constantly being pulled with priorities, you're constantly having to balance everything that's important to you. That gets harder and harder. Your body feels differently at 34. I fortunately have been holding up this summer in a way that I haven't felt in a while. So that's a good feeling. But history would show that it so far has been harder.

ANDRE AGASSI: That's what I love about tennis. You can't hide from yourself out there. Either you believe it or you don't, and you're exposed when you're out there. I think you have to have the goods regardless. If you lie to the man in the mirror, I mean, you're going to get out on the court, 20,000 people are going to realize it's not all what you think it is. So you need to have the goods. I'd say, generally speaking, it's easier to have the goods at 24.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I was involved in my sister's book, which is a book designed to raise money for breast cancer, where I lent one of my recipes that I enjoy cooking, pictures of me and the family. It's a great book that a lot of sort of celebrities have given their time and energy towards. My father's book, I had nothing to do with that.

ANDRE AGASSI: I burn a lot of tread out there. I think it has to do with my speed at 34 (smiling). You know, I enjoy a good broken-in pair of shoes, let me put it that way. Sometimes you cross that line and you need to rotate it, but you don't feel like it's that big of a concern so you keep the nice used leather tightly strapped.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah. I think you'd be surprised to look in the rest of my bag, too (smiling). You never know when you need it.

ANDRE AGASSI: Who is asking the question? I can't see (smiling). No, I haven't noticed any issues with my vision. What age does that start?

ANDRE AGASSI: 45, okay. Come ask me again in 15 years (smiling). My math is bad, 11 years.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, yeah, I think -- I think it was one incredible accomplishment that he had. Singles and doubles, it's a phenomenal thing he accomplished. He spent a lot of hours on the court, showed a lot of heart. Man, he'll have that to enjoy the rest of his life.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, it's one of the greatest accomplishments in my career for myself personally. I hold that as close to me as anything else I've done.

ANDRE AGASSI: I was actually playing, so I missed the fifth set. But I saw a good chunk of the match. Serving and staying back was one heck of an effort. It speaks to the quality of their power and ball striking because you can't get away with that unless you have a big shot to fall back on.

ANDRE AGASSI: Not really. I don't really look ahead. I mean, I know it's a cliche. It's a great problem to worry about, you know, when it's time to worry about it.

ANDRE AGASSI: I personally have never underestimated my opponent. I mean, I'd have to go back to maybe my early 20s, the last time I ever took something for granted out on the tennis court. If anything, I have the tendency to give too much respect to what my opponent can do. Sometimes it distracts me from what it is I need to be doing. So when I see a guy like Rochus putting together another phenomenal match - beating Ancic was a great display of tennis, too - against Moya, I'm looking at that thinking, "That's why you don't underestimate anybody." So for me it's sort of a perfect example of the preparation and anxiety that one feels in trying to prepare to be at their best for a tournament like this, because anything can happen out there.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't know sort of - what would you call it - scientifically how accurate the shot cam is that they use. But I got to believe it's closer to perfect than linesmen trying to watch the ball. I mean, I can't see the ball out there, and I've watched the ball my whole life. There are times where I'm really unsure. One of the hardest things in practice when you play against a guy is just calling balls. It's easy to miss calls. I think it would save time on arguments and all that. So it would be a nice feature. It would be relieving for the player. Even if they knew there was a possibility that it's not accurate, everybody's at least playing by the same sort of rules. You can live with that. So, I mean, that would be I think a good addition to the game.

ANDRE AGASSI: No, I couldn't do that. I couldn't do that (smiling).