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Agassi Ready for Desert Storm
At the tender of age of 15 years, 7 months, the teenage Andre Agassi made his
ATP debut at La Quinta, California, defeating John Austin before losing to then
World No. 3 Mats Wilander in straight sets.
It seems hard to believe that 18 years later, Agassi makes his 16th appearance
in Indian Wells still among the main contenders for the Pacific Life Open, a
tournament he eventually won for the first time in 2001 after two previous
appearances in the final.
Now at 33 years of age and ranked No. 4 in the INDESIT ATP Entry Rankings,
Agassi believes he is in top shape for another stint at the title. “I feel
good,” said Agassi on the eve of the tournament. “I’m practicing well, I
feel strong and I still believe that if I play the way that I can play, I can
still win. I’m very proud of the fact that I’m still out here doing it. I’m
stronger than I’ve ever been, physically I feel great. I think there’s some
handicaps that go with being older, but there’s some arsenal that comes with
being older. At the end of the day, you play a good match and you feel like
you can still win, so I don’t feel older when I’m out there that’s for
sure.”
A year after Agassi made his entrance to the world of tennis, the tournament
moved from La Quinta to its new home at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. In
1988, Agassi reached the semifinals before losing to Boris Becker and lost to
Stefan Edberg in the final two years later. After another final defeat at the
hands of his long-time rival Pete Sampras in 1995, Agassi avenged that defeat
five years later to claim his first Indian Wells title.
Agassi, always a star attraction wherever he goes on and off the court, remains
as popular as ever with the Indian Wells fans, and its something Agassi himself
is mindful of.
Being on the court here that close to the fans is a great thing,” said
Agassi. “It gives them a chance to get a feel for the work we do and gives
us a chance to feel a live, competitive environment. They’re clapping on the
court with enthusiasm and getting into it, so it’s all good for us in between
the lines. But outside the court, I’m flattered by the attention. It never
ceases to amaze me how much support I get out here.”
Last year, the American was forced to miss the tournament with a right shoulder
injury, and the absence has given him an extra incentive to do well this time
around. “I just want to be here at my best, go that extra mile to be ready to
go,” said Agassi. “I had all those MRIs done before last year, but nothing
pointed out to the reason for the injury. Obviously there’s hot spots that are
a function of wear and tear and you’re not aware of the problem they present
day after day, but they were convinced I could recover with a bit of rest and
it did.”
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