US OPEN

September 8, 2002

Andre Agassi

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, just was a tough day for me today. I mean, on top of him playing well, I just got off to a rough start. You know, I just was flat, and I tried to get myself into the match and had to work pretty hard just to give myself a chance. Just was never quite enough.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I suppose everything has a factor. I mean, I think the way he played is also a factor, so...

ANDRE AGASSI: "Congratulations." Just wished him well.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I think a lot of people get support towards the end of their career. The difference is they thought I'd been at the end of mine for eight years now (laughter). So I think he's getting his just support. He's given a lot to the game. He's meant a lot to the game.

ANDRE AGASSI: Oh, yeah. I was expecting that. This is the US Open. You got two Americans that have been doing this a long time.

ANDRE AGASSI: I was having a hard time getting on to it and getting off the mark and making any sort of impact at all. I think he sensed that, and I was allowing him to play pretty loose in his return games. He played a couple good break games. At that point, he was solidly better than I was today. And then managed just to kind of keep my nose in front in the third. Had chances in the fourth, as well as he did. He just converted and I didn't.

ANDRE AGASSI: I wanted it to go longer. I mean, because that's the only chance I had, was to get it to a fifth. But I think there's a lot of momentum coming from two sets back if you can get to the fifth. But that was a long ways off in hindsight.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, certainly his serve. He's a good pressure point player. He senses the important times of a match and puts pressure on you, then elevates his game. So, you know, he can play for an hour where you don't even break a sweat sometimes because he's just taking the rhythm out of the match. He's playing quick points, getting in, missing a few. Then all of a sudden he plays a good game and he's off.

ANDRE AGASSI: You know, I don't have much objectivity on that right now. Every day's a new one. It's hard for me to assess that.

ANDRE AGASSI: I felt like I still had a little ways to go to secure the momentum. I felt like now I had a chance to do it. You know, serving first was important. I had a couple break points in the third set and I didn't convert those. That turned out to get me.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, not -- I wouldn't say I was really thinking so much about -- I was thinking a lot more about the Xs and Os today, what I needed to do and how I felt personally and what I was trying to accomplish out there. But it was special; you can't get around that .

ANDRE AGASSI: I think it means a lot more to me this year after what took place a year ago. You know, I think the world has seen what a great city this place is, and the heart and spirit of the New Yorkers is something that gives you a lot of hope.

ANDRE AGASSI: It's always important here, but I just think this year was extra special.

ANDRE AGASSI: I could have left it before today. You know... I mean, I take what I can get. Hopefully it will happen again.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I think that that lends for the highest standard of tennis, and ultimately I would believe that that's pretty important to a Grand Slam. But that's one of the things that makes it difficult here and one of the things that makes you feel so good when you do win it.

ANDRE AGASSI: What does it feel...

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I don't think of it that way, you know. I have -- I feel like I'm out there and people are giving to me. It's hard for me to have a perspective on what I'm offering to anybody, but I certainly am glad to be a part of it.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, it was close, you know. But you certainly come here to try to get the job done. Felt like I had a good opportunity to do that. But, you know, I know my game's there. It's a difference of such subtleties that makes you win on a day like today. So this assures me that I have some more to look forward to in the upcoming year.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't think happy for Pete is quite the way to put it (laughter). A lot of respect for the work he's put into getting himself this opportunity and in the way he went about today, it's great for him. I think it's a great thing for him. If I was him, I'd even feel better.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I know it might feel probably more special to him than any of them just because any time you ask more of yourself, more of yourself's out there. It feels that much more of an accomplishment and means a lot more to you.

ANDRE AGASSI: I've said the same thing for years now, that his game is able to raise itself at the right time. While the discipline and the daily grind of what it takes to be at the best -- at the top has obviously gotten tougher for him, there's still a danger in the way he plays and how good he is. Anybody that says something different is really ignorant. They don't understand the game of tennis, because Pete has a lot of weapons out there. I'm well aware of that.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I suppose that when you win six and lose one, you have to point to that one. But, again, you have to say, "Well, why is that?" You got to point to the way he played. But I did find myself probably not as sharp as I wanted to be. But you still have an opponent who has a responsibility of keeping you that way. And just, you know, never quite got over the hurdle.

ANDRE AGASSI: I think last year was a higher sort of quality of a match as far as consistently speaking. But every day's a new day and it's hard to play that sort of level of tennis against somebody else who's doing the same thing all the time. Today he played the big points really well.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, more hours you get to recover, the better off you are. There's no really two ways around that. But you could play first and play five sets and play second and play three. So... You know, again, it's one of the things that makes it so difficult to win here, but it's also one of the things that makes it so special to win here.

ANDRE AGASSI: I feel like a first loser, if that makes sense - came in second. You know, it's disappointing, there's no ways around that. I think I've been more disappointed in my career, so... Put it in perspective. It would have been nice to win it again.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I think just the normal nerves that always take place. But more just a little flat.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't know. I don't know what she's doing when she's watching. I'm concentrating on the ball.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't know. You have to answer that one for me because, you know, I'm -- we're still out here doing it and it's hard to get around that fact.

ANDRE AGASSI: It's important to get rest when you're about to play the finals and you're just coming off three and a half hours of tennis. I did sleep well.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I suppose I'll sit down and assess that. I mean, I'm obviously scheduled to play the big tournaments that are still left, so I'll go from there.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I wish I could help you out there and answer that. I'm not quite sure.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, the loss is only a function of what you thought should have happened out there. Again, I was -- I felt pretty outplayed for the first two sets. Even the third, I wasn't convinced I was playing a notch ahead of him. Then I felt like I started to, but that's when he stepped up and answered with some big shots. So it doesn't matter, not necessarily who it is, but how it is.