Agassi Withdraws from Wimbledon
from Tennisweek
<http://tinyurl.com/8frxz>
Andre Agassi's Wimbledon fortnight is over before it began. The 35-year-old
Agassi officially withdrew from the grass-court Grand Slam today. It marks
the second straight year Agassi will miss Wimbledon due to injury.
The 1992 Wimbledon champion informed the All England Club of his withdrawal
in a fax sent today. "Mr. Andre Agassi regrets he will have to withdraw from
the Gentlemen's Singles due to injury," tournament referee Alan Mills said.
"Mr. Agassi says in a fax that it is a regrettable decision and he will miss
playing in the most prestigious tournament in the world." Though Agassi did
not cite the specific injury in his withdrawal, he has been bothered by a
sciatic nerve in recent months. Agassi has been taking cortisone shots to
combat the pinched nerve that shoots sharp pain from his back all the way
down his leg. "It's the sciatic nerve that doesn't have much room based on
years of developing bone and growth," Agassi said after his opening-round
Roland Garros exit. "There's less space for the nerve. It if is inflamed, it
takes less inflammation for me to feel the result of that." The eight-time
Grand Slam champion's withdrawal comes the day after Agassi's coach, Darren
Cahill, told the Australian media he would play Wimbledon. Agassi was
scheduled to arrive in London this week to begin preparations for his 14th —
and possibly final — Wimbledon appearance, Cahill said yesterday.
Apparently, Agassi, who has not played a grass-court match this year, did not
feel he would be fit enough to play Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.
The former No. 1 established an Open Era record by competing in his 58th
career Grand Slam event at Roland Garros last month. Agassi was forced to
contemplate the finish line of his career bowing out to Jarkko Nieminen 7-5,
4-6, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-0 while suffering from the sciatic nerve in his back in
what may well have been his final French Open farewell.
In the aftermath of that painful loss, Agassi said he was planning to play
Wimbledon.
"I have every intention of playing (Wimbledon)," Agassi said after his French
Open loss. "I have high hopes with another injection. Something tells me I'm
at stage of my career where I'm going to be living with these injections
because this is unplayable when it feels like this. There's nothing you can
do to get comfortable. To be out there against some of the best athletes in
the world, it's impossible."
Cortisone shots have provided pain relief from his sciatic nerve and enabled
Agassi to enjoy a productive spring season. He reached the quarterfinals at
Indian Wells, the semifinals in Key Biscayne, the Houston quarterfinals on
red clay and made a strong showing in Rome where he reached the final four
before falling to French Open finalist Guillermo Coria.
At this stage of his career, Agassi is not only facing the world's best
players, he's playing against time as he tries to squeeze out every bit of
quality tennis he has left within him. For now, he's willing to trade
cortisone treatment for the time it allows him to continue competing.
"If I'm getting a few months out of it, it's fair enough for me injection,"
Agassi said. "It takes 10 minutes and if I can give up 10 minutes for a few
months I'll probably still choose that. It's hard to deal with hypotheticals
as I head through he rest of the year and how things respond and where I find
myself mentally and emotionally. It's disappointing to feel this and
disappointing to be in a position to not be competitive out there. I'll keep
plugging along until I feel there's nothing I can do about it. I was told I
can take up to three (injections) in a given year."
Given his age and ongoing sciatic nerve injury, Agassi may well have played
his final match at Wimbledon in 2003 when he bowed to Mark Philippoussis in
the fourth round.
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