THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 22, 1997

Andre Agassi

ANDRE AGASSI: You know, I'm just not capitalizing on early opportunities. Up a break, lost my serve right away. You know, just haven't won enough matches to expect to win out there. You know, I'm just not playing well at the right time. When I have a triple breakpoint, it's still like 50/50 in the hole. That's the way it feels sometimes.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah. It feels like a real vicious cycle. I need to get through some of these tough ones in order to start putting it together. It's tough to get through these guys if you don't have it together. I've just got to stay at it.

ANDRE AGASSI: Probably a lot like it's been the past three months: not very high.

ANDRE AGASSI: I mean, yeah. It's a great format. It certainly has always worked well for me in the past, but there's no question that I've got to overcome some hurdles here, get myself back to where I'm playing the right shots at the right time, executing them well.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't think it's really difficult to answer, it's just tough to do it. It's not easy. It's a calculated game out there, but in a lot of ways you're reacting, has to be instinctively calculated, get to where you're making the right choices instinctively. I'm not doing that yet. I'm second-guessing my shot selection. That's not getting it done.

ANDRE AGASSI: No, first part, no, second part. I'm not tired, I'm not through. I wish sometimes I believed in myself out there as much as most people believe in my capabilities. I'm second-guessing myself a lot out there. It's something I'm going to have to get through.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, the next match I'll play it will all be better.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah.

ANDRE AGASSI: I think different players are different. I think he was a lot more disciplined in the way he approached his game. He could definitely -- Bjorn was the same way, too. He would miss a week and he wasn't even hitting the strings. I don't think it's ever been that extreme for me. I think any time you take away is not time to the positive as far as your game goes. I have missed a lot. You know, I mean, hopefully I can turn it around. What can I say? I'm just going to keep at it, prove to a lot of people I could do it.

ANDRE AGASSI: At this point it seems like it would have been a week to the good, but maybe a match to the good. Who the hell knows.

ANDRE AGASSI: 15-40, double breakpoint, missed the second serve return long when I had the wind at my back. That's a terrible error. 30-40, I made a good return. He gave me a forehand in the middle of the court, I just hit it in the net. I think most of my problem is not to do with movement; more to do with just picking the right shot and not second-guessing it so I can hit the shot I know to play. First error was the right shot executed bad, and the 30-40 was the wrong shot executed bad.

ANDRE AGASSI: The way it was moving around out there, it's tough to size it up like that. Getting that dropshot wouldn't have changed anything. I needed to play the right ball at the right time. There are a lot more important points out there that were deciding what was going on.

ANDRE AGASSI: I've been looking for that every week, yeah. I just need something to get me to expect to win. That's what it boils down to. When I'm playing expecting to win, I'm a different player. When I'm playing wondering if things are going to come together, it snowballs on me quickly.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I know Tony. Professionally I worked with him one day. I met with him. I think -- I believe in a lot of what he says. I don't attribute all my success by any means in the past to anyone. I've worked hard for what I've done. I'm going to have to continue.

ANDRE AGASSI: Hit a lot of balls, I guess.

ANDRE AGASSI: I haven't made the call yet. Get some good practice here because there's a lot of good players still around.

ANDRE AGASSI: I haven't decided that yet. Maybe.