EUROCARD OPEN

October 30, 1999

Andre Agassi

ANDRE AGASSI: I think he just got mad that I broke him there at 4-5 (laughter). He played really, really good from 1-0 in the third up. It was difficult today. I got down a break of serve first game of every set. It's like an uphill battle from there. You never quite have the freedom to start really going for your shots because, if you do get a chance, you want to make sure that you're careful with it. Just never quite got on top of him. I just was pretty much surviving it from the get.

ANDRE AGASSI: You know, I mean, it's tough to say. We had a real good match in the finals of Munich last year; thought he played really well. Just indoors sometimes the points can go quickly. He certainly served really well, so I only had a few chances there. You know, you combine him serving well and playing well, then in the third set a few shots going his way was just a sprint to the finish line. Not much I had to say about the third set there. Just trying different things, but it was just -- he pretty much controlled the third set start to finish.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I mean, I think Thomas is a tough player to play against, no matter what kind of matches you've had.

ANDRE AGASSI: What do you mean when you say "freedom"?

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, that's just because I've been playing well. I think the difficulty was getting down in each set. You know, he played a first game to break me. He hits a different ball than most guys. I mean, he really handles the pace well and delivers pace really well. For me to control the point, you know, at certain times I felt like I was taking too big of a risk, then you try to pull back a little bit and he's right there to capitalize. When he's on his game, he's certainly one of the toughest ones out there, especially on this kind of a surface where the ball stays in his wheelhouse. But I think the biggest mistake was getting down a break early in the third, you know. That first game was a crucial one. Double-faulted at 30-All, got it back to deuce, made a forehand error long, gave him a look at a backhand up the line, which he executed perfectly. From that point on, I felt like every time he touched the ball, it was almost an impossible shot for me to return. It was real good tennis from there for him.

ANDRE AGASSI: Thanks for noticing.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, today Enqvist was my reason. What do you want me to say? I don't know. Doesn't have much to do with Germany. Certainly doesn't ....

ANDRE AGASSI: I have to go back a long time, I think, yeah.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah.

ANDRE AGASSI: I'm looking forward to it. I feel like it's good. Bercy is a great place to play. I love the atmosphere, love the court. Certainly now after winning in Roland Garros, I just look forward to repaying the Parisians with some better tennis. They offered me a lot of strength and support. I'll never forget it. Looking forward to it.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't know, really, to be honest. I mean, I'm trying to win every time I play. I don't know where the standings are at the moment.

ANDRE AGASSI: I mean, I want it; it's certainly a goal. I have to do my job, you know, every time anyhow. You know, I'll look at it at the end.

ANDRE AGASSI: You know, somebody's going to end Pete's run sooner or later. This year, if it's not me, it would be somebody else. I think Pete's in a tough position now to do it, from what I understand. But it's always nice to do something you've never done, you know. I can't say that I would compare it at all to winning a Slam, but it's certainly important to me because I think it kind of symbolizes a lot for me personally on an accomplishing level from where I ended '97 to ending '99, a big difference.

ANDRE AGASSI: Does it feel any different?

ANDRE AGASSI: No.

ANDRE AGASSI: I mean, I'm out there working, you know. She's one of, in this case, probably 9,000 people there. She can't change the way I hit the ball, that's for sure. I wish she could, you know. If I had her slice today, maybe that would have neutralized Enqvist a little bit. I wasn't getting it done.