EUROCARD OPEN

October 28, 1998

Andre Agassi

Q. That was difficult to adapt to a new court, new circumstances? This court is quite slow; isn't it?

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, it is. All the indoor courts so far this year have played pretty similar. So it wasn't too difficult to get used to it. I think it helped to play the doubles too, and get a little look before it started.

ANDRE AGASSI: No, I mean, you can still serve and volley, trust me. If Krajicek stays back tomorrow, then I will say, okay, it is too slow. But I don't think he is going to do that.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't think it would have been easy to expect this, no. It has been a good year in many ways, and in some ways, disappointing with the Grand Slams. But I knew it would take me the whole year to get myself back to being in good position again. But I wasn't expecting to have succeeded this quickly, no.

ANDRE AGASSI: They were great weeks. They really were. I really enjoyed them. Strong memories there. Vegas - playing in Las Vegas I get a lot of support and during a very difficult time and in Burbank it was during Thanksgiving, there was a certain element of real kind of getting back to the old gym during a time of year where I am used to relaxing, I was working. So I felt good memories, very good memories of it.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, that is what it boils down to for me next year are the Grand Slams. It is the most important and position with your ranking. It is obviously a very important part of that. The end of this year is crucial to the ranking and it is also crucial to your confidence and to making improvements that will help you for the upcoming year.

ANDRE AGASSI: I don't think I have made any concrete plans. I wouldn't need much, but a little bit. And that is good news.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. No not at all. I wasn't even expecting myself to do that well in Australia. You have got to remember I hadn't competed on that level, I mean, before then the biggest crowd I was in front of was maybe 500 people, you know, it was very nerve-wracking to be competing at that level again and three out of five sets - as hard as you train, you are never ready for the mental and physical wear and tear of a three out of five set match. He raised his game and beat them in the last three sets and I never -- it was disappointing of course, but it wasn't the most disappointing. It was very early on and I was staying very positive.

ANDRE AGASSI: No, I mean, Rios was playing unbelievable to the finals and I wasn't ready to be competing on that level in hindsight.

ANDRE AGASSI: Oh, sure. Completely different program now - three out of five sets in the heat with the way I am playing, I am looking forward to playing there. I am going there with the intention to win.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, you are talking about so many different levels along the way. I feel like every single stage has been so crucial that I have that match that makes me believe for the next level. I would have to say the real belief about beating the best guys is just now coming around, literally, as recent as a few weeks. The indoors is a good environment for the person that hits a clean ball. If you are playing aggressively and controlling the points indoors, it does a lot for your confidence. This whole year, when it came time to winning big matches, I got a lot more conservative. I didn't get aggressive and that is not a good sign for me. Now I am starting to play aggressive even if the match gets close. It is what I need to do to be at the top again.

ANDRE AGASSI: I mean, I think it is certainly difficult to go from 140 to No. 1, but, you know, I am not as interested in No. 1 right now as much as proving that I can be there. I want to win big tournaments. That is the most important thing to me. I have had a lot of close matches this year where if I had won those matches, you know, who knows where I would be right now. So I think it would be nice if I could win these next two tournaments, but I am very realistic about how I need to approach my game right now and it is one match at a time and it would be a great accomplishment. But I'd rather win Australia.

ANDRE AGASSI: I hit the ball out. Then I just asked him why he wasn't giving me a warning. He said: I didn't see what you did. I said: I just hit the ball into the roof. He says: Well, I didn't see. I said: Let me assure you, I hit it real hard. He said: Well, I have to see it. I said: Okay, glad you weren't watching.

ANDRE AGASSI: It was a great time. I wish we had done better. But I have always wanted to play doubles with Boris. I think him and McEnroe are probably the best doubles players that have ever played the game and I give him that kind of credit. Certainly was a good experience and very memorable for me. I enjoyed it very much.

ANDRE AGASSI: Only after the first beer; not the third.

ANDRE AGASSI: Strictly plutonic.

ANDRE AGASSI: We spent most of our career with great admiration for each other and we had a difficult moment in 1995, but, you know, you choose your wife and you have difficult moments with your wife, so we have been competing together for twelve years and we had a difficult moment. But it is way behind us.

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