32 YEARS AND READY TO RULE

Andre Agassi: Will he end 2002 as No. 1?
Agassi's charity hits record

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

Fred Mullane Camerawork USA, Inc.

Only 43 points behind Lleyton Hewitt to earn the bragging rights for finishing the year as the No. 1 player in the ATP Champions Race, the 32-year-old Andre Agassi is showing no signs of old age when it comes to his tennis career.

Agassi increased his chances of taking the lead for the season on Sunday when he captured the Tennis Masters Series-Madrid trophy, an effort that did not wear out the American since his opponent Jiri Novak withdrew from the final with a groin injury. Not surprising, the fit Las Vegas native, with a six-pack ripple mid-drift, takes pride in winning events over guys who are over a decade younger than him and would certainly enjoy take the No. 1 honors for the season.

"I think it's a great accomplishment for anybody to finish No. 1," said Agassi, during his successful week in Madrid. "For me, at this stage in my career, to do that, especially with the tournament I missed (at the beginning of) this year, would be a great accomplishment. I think it would make me feel better about the year, to say the least. But I think mostly it would give me sort of the momentum going into next year."

For some, the fact that Agassi could be crowned king of 2002 would represent a flaw in the system.

After all, while Agassi has won three TMS-level events that boasted star-laden fields, he didn't lay claim to one of the four Grand Slam titles and those are the dangling carats that are deemed most essential. For others, however, Agassi's consistency in winning five titles for the season, coupled with the fact that he did reach the final of the US Open, will substantiate his taking the top spot if that's how it works out in the end. While he was only one step away from victory at Flushing Meadows, the other Grand Slams went poorly for Agassi – a wrist injury prevented him from defending his title at the Australian Open; he dropped the ball at Roland Garros which looked like a virtual shoo-in for him by suffering a bad loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero; and Wimbledon ended in a shocking straight set, second round loss to Paradorn Srichiphan.

HEWITT HAS PLENTY OF CREDITS
It is hard to argue against the wisdom that Hewitt, the current front-runner in the Champions Race, should capture the No. 1 since he scored a Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon and won two other titles at San Jose and Queen's Club during the year.

But the Australian dealt himself a huge blow this week when he bowed out of the Stockholm Open in the second round to Dutchman Raemon Sluiter. If Agassi could go on to win the St. Petersburg tournament, where he is playing this week, he could cut Hewitt's lead to a mere eight points heading towards the upcoming Tennis Masters Cup, Nov. 12-17 in Shanghai.

Despite Hewitt's seeming edge in the battle, it certainly seems hard not to sentimentally be on Agassi's side since his ability to possess "the fight" after 16 years on the tour is extremely admirable. Situations that might get anyone down – such as losing the US Open final to Pete Sampras in a tough four-setter – could have drained Agassi of his desire to play, not to mention to strive for a top placement finish for the year.

To be honest, having watched Agassi walking through the bowels of the Arthur Ashe stadium right after his Open loss, head hanging, eyes staring on the ground vacantly, one would have believed getting over the disappointment would certainly take a while. But Agassi wasted little time wallowing in self-pity after the loss in New York and quickly got back into the swing of things.

"I took about a week off where I didn't do anything – even pick up the phone," Agassi reports about the days immediately after leaving Flushing Meadows. "But then I was back to work. I think as you get older, you don't necessarily have to work harder; you have to work smarter. You have to know what you're doing and sort of why you're doing it, and to make sure it fits in with the context of what you're looking for through the rest of your career. The body needs to be respected, especially as it gets older."
Agassi, who at times in his early years on the tour was faulted for not always focusing solely on his tennis, has found that his intensity level has grown as he has aged.

"I think everything is sort of more extreme these days," Agassi said. "I feel probably more disappointed by my losses and more sort of rewarded for my wins. I think that comes with age. I think the older everyone gets, the more they can appreciate, the more they sort of have a perspective on how limited these opportunities are. If I can't come out here and compete, if I'm losing a lot, that sort of thing, I think it would be tough for me. I feel like I'm still getting better and that's what I need."

Agassi's charity hits record
Regrouping and getting ready to rejoin the tour, Agassi took time out in late September to enjoy hosting the "Seventh Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation's Grand Slam For Children" benefit.

The sold-out event, which raised a record $5,685,000, will in part benefit the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy and the Andre Agassi Boys & Girls Club. Among the items auctioned was dinner for eight with comedian Robin Williams going for $260,000, dinner for eight cooked by famed chef Emeril Lagasse for $290,000, an ATP provided trip for two to the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai for $50,000.

The celebrity "A" list came out for the Las Vegas-based event, including Robin Williams, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Carlos Santana, Dennis Miller and Baby Face.