TENNIS MASTERS SERIES - ROMA

May 8, 2002

Andre Agassi

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Andre, please.

ANDRE AGASSI: No, he played a good game. He played four winners in the last game.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, yeah, no. I mean, today was a great day for me. The conditions aren't easy. The court's a little slippery, too. It's heavy. But two players have to play, you know. So it's always who it bothers more, who it affects more. And today was good from the start. I not just played well, but I played well and then I won all the big points in the beginning. So if you get one chance and you take it, then it's very quickly you're up. So it was a good day - not always like this.

ANDRE AGASSI: You know, every day is a new day. And if we play again tomorrow, it's possible that it's much different. So I certainly was disappointed to lose first round in defense of that title, but a lot of things went his way and he played well that day. So I just wanted to play a good match today, make him work hard to earn it. And, again, days like this, doesn't happen too often.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I've addressed this before.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, it's an incredible stage and one that I truly am going to miss, because I can't even imagine what it would feel like. But for me to all of a sudden decide that I'm going to take that spot away from somebody who's played well, and all year, you know... I've played 12 years. I've given a lot, and it's taken a lot. So it's given to me. And I think this part is over now. If it's easy for me to play it and convenient, or if the team needs

me --

ANDRE AGASSI: It's not something that I feel the liberty to just change my mind.

ANDRE AGASSI: Hmm... Two matches now, so please take me very slowly.

ANDRE AGASSI: It's a surface -- I understand. It's hard for me to say how -- I played Calleri one time. We played on a hardcourt. So how he plays on clay, I'm not so sure. Which one's more difficult, it's not easy for me to say. So the good news is I have to play the best one. It's always this way.