04/16/24
September 01, 2006
Andre The Giant: With a rowdy New York crowd behind him, giving him the undeniable home court advantage, Andre Agassi pulls off another victory, this time one of the more captivating matches in recent history. If the ailing Agassi can knock of the 112th-ranked B. Becker from Germany, there is the potential for an All-American match, Agassi v. Roddick.
posted by NightingalesGone to tennis at 10:55 AM - 15 comments
With Andre playing these long, grinding matches so early, it can't be good for his upcoming matches. If the NY crowd can keep him pumped up, he might go a long way.
posted by dbt302 at 11:53 AM on September 01, 2006
Cortizone, anyone?
posted by garfield at 11:54 AM on September 01, 2006
Not that it's not an awesome feat, but it would have been a lot more awesome if he'd won it in straight sets -- as he should have, the way Bagdhatis was playing. (and my god, loud? I thought the crowd at last year's quarterfinal was loud, but last night was completely off the hook)
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:01 PM on September 01, 2006
What? No lame Boris Becker jokes for the next round? lbb, I thought he *did* win in straight sets until I woke up this morning to the continuing lovefest on USA Network. He definitely made things harder on himself. Baghdatis was not exactly at his most impressive. I only wish DirecTV's interactive coverage lasted beyond the first week so that when Agassi does lose, I'd have a refuge from the horror that will be the main channel (CBS, USA, they will all react equally badly).
posted by somethingotherthan at 12:43 PM on September 01, 2006
What? No lame Boris Becker jokes for the next round? johnny mac made more than enough bad b. becker jokes in his post-match interview with andre.
posted by goddam at 12:59 PM on September 01, 2006
what lame Boris Becker jokes are there? I want to see them. and, yes, it's Benjamin Becker, not Boris, who's up against Andre. C'mon, he's ranked 112, Andre. Go straight sets and give yourself a break.
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:42 PM on September 01, 2006
somethingotherthan: lbb, I thought he *did* win in straight sets until I woke up this morning to the continuing lovefest on USA Network. He definitely made things harder on himself. Baghdatis was not exactly at his most impressive Not in the first two sets and first three games of the third set, but he did get better in a hurry, gotta give him that. Still a ton of unforced errors. When Bagdhatis got that break to go up 6-5 in the fourth set, I knew it was gonna be a five-set tiebreaker, and I toddled off to bed. Either Agassi would win and advance and I'd get to see him again, or he'd lose and I wouldn't want to see it, not if he lost that way. wick-tick-tooey: and, yes, it's Benjamin Becker, not Boris, who's up against Andre. C'mon, he's ranked 112, Andre. Go straight sets and give yourself a break. He better win in straight sets, because his next matchup will most likely be against Andy Roddick, who is really likin' the speed of this surface. And there are quite a few people whom I'd rather see Agassi lose his last match to.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 02:40 PM on September 01, 2006
Great article from Simon Barnes in The Times today: But the point about Agassi is that he is one of the great shape-shifters of world sport. He reinvented himself. The dyed mane became a cue-ball, the waster became a remorseless champion, the boy of image became a man of substance, the player who messed about became a winner who just got on with the job. He has been a marvellous player to watch.
posted by JJ at 04:40 PM on September 01, 2006
Agassi is just warming up! This is a case of Experience trumping Youth. Get used to it fellas!
posted by DA ASSX3N at 05:54 PM on September 01, 2006
Roddick will not be handled by Agassi...Not going to happen even if Agassi makes it to face him.
posted by justbear at 06:15 PM on September 01, 2006
Agassi is just warming up! This is a case of Experience trumping Youth. The problem is that eventually Current Skill will trump Past Skill, regardless of Youth and Experience levels.
posted by grum@work at 06:27 PM on September 01, 2006
lbb - Not in the first two sets and first three games of the third set, but he did get better in a hurry, gotta give him that. Still a ton of unforced errors. I got home from work and watched almost exactly that amount of the match, amazingly enough. Thus my assessment that Agassi would win easily, and that BagMan was being disappointing. I turned the station over to watch the equally crappy VMAs because a friend was doing a hilarious live blog. So imagine my surprise when I wake up this morning to the strains of USA Network and its continuing adoration for Agassi and his amazing insta-classic comeback. If Ernesto, who seems to be claiming the night session right now, sticks around for two or three days, the "Old Man" may yet have a chance. Especially if the USTA goes for some of that 2003-type scheduling.
posted by somethingotherthan at 07:07 PM on September 01, 2006
what lame Boris Becker jokes are there? I want to see them. As goddam said, JMac brought 'em all out for us last night. Tune in right now for a rehash!
posted by somethingotherthan at 07:10 PM on September 01, 2006
somethingotherthan: I got home from work and watched almost exactly that amount of the match, amazingly enough. Thus my assessment that Agassi would win easily, and that BagMan was being disappointing. That was my assessment too. I kept watching, expecting to see him close it out in the next fifteen minutes, but that was the exact moment that Bagdhatis decided to bring it. The Roddick match will be an interesting one. I don't think Roddick's game has really gotten any more sophisticated, but he doesn't have that lost look so much this year, and a fast surface is a good surface for him. It will take every trick and bit of experience from Andre, or every bit of pure power from Roddick, to win.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:37 PM on September 01, 2006
How many more grinders can this guy take? I cringe just from reading the results. Go, Andre!