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THE SCOOP: THURSDAY, JUNE 6

Andre Agassi: Roland Garros dreams are over
Andrei Pavel: family comes before tennis

By Sandra Harwitt
tennisreporters.net

FROM ROLAND GARROS – When Andre Agassi disembarked in Paris, having recently won the coveted Italian Open, the American was being highly touted for taking a possible second career Roland Garros trophy. But in the end, the last of a band of unfamiliar foes became his undoing and Agassi was left to embark on a journey back to his home in the Bay area.

Juan Carlos Ferrero became the third Spaniard to join the French Open semifinal ranks – joining compatriots Albert Costa and Alex Corretja in the final four – when he ended Agassi’s run to the quarterfinals in a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 win.

This French Open visit was rather unique for Agassi in that every opponent he played turned out to be a new experience. It is certainly to the disadvantage of the superstar when he faces a player that he’s never encountered before because while his opponent has probably had many opportunities to glance at his game, the visa versa is not likely to be true.

“This tournament has been a little difficult for me,” Agassi said. “Nobody I’ve played here I’ve ever played before. I believe that to be always somewhat of a disadvantage for me because guys see me play. When I’m playing the qualifier the first round to (David) Sanchez to (Tommy) Robredo to (Paul-Henri) Matthieu to Ferrero, I feel like the start of the match is pretty crucial, and conditions were tough yesterday – incredibly heavy, cold and wet.”

Indeed, the beginning of the match did not go well for Agassi. And even when he came back to the court on a sunny spring Thursday morning, where the court was playing more to his specifications, Agassi was struggling for a foot in the door with Ferrero leading 6-3, 1-0.

HURRY UP AND WAIT
The intro to the two-hour, 46-minute match was a sloppy affair, not only in Agassi’s play that was dampened by the wet, heavy conditions, but by a rain-soaked day that saw more sitting around and waiting then playing. In the end, there was only 36-minutes of play before officials allowed the weather to win out.

“I don’t think it’s ideal for my game,” said Agassi, talking about the undesirable conditions at the beginning of the match. “When it’s thick conditions, it’s a little harder to hit through the court. Heavy conditions favor the guy who moves better and gets more off his racket. And on this surface, that’s exactly into Ferrero’s hands. So you do hope for certain variables to favor you, but they all play out. All you can do is hope.”

Initially, Agassi looked as if he successfully rebounded in the match, taking a 4-2 lead in the second set. Although Ferrero worked his way back to 5-all in the set, he won the final two games to even the match at one-set all.

Ferrero, who on many occasions in the match worked magic with a drop shot that found Agassi unable to scramble for the pickup, raced ahead 4-1 in the third set. Agassi, however, refused to go quietly in the match and his determination led him to 5-all in the third set with three break points on Ferrero’s serve in the 11th game. If Agassi had copped one of those break points, he would have been serving for a two-sets-to-one lead, but he couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities and the set eventually fell away.

“It was a big opportunity there,” Agassi said, reflecting on the moment. “You know, three points, I felt I had a look at. First one I had a sitter backhand, and I just kind of jacked it a little bit too big and it went past the baseline. Next point I hit a forehand up the line, caught the tape. Next I ran around a second, took my chance up the line, caught the tape again. You know, those chances are going to come and go. There are times where you make them. But that turned out to be pretty big.”

Looking a step too slow, Agassi watched helplessly as Ferrero sprinted to a 5-1 lead in the second set before he made a last stand. The American won the next two games, breaking Ferrero’s serve in the seventh game with some trademark Agassi stroke making, before the Spaniard closed out the match in the next game.
Despite the loss and a chance to score a French Open title, Agassi was in good spirits and a reflective mood after his day was done at Roland Garros.

“Well, I’m certainly aware of the opportunities being fewer and fewer,” he said. “I suppose for me this one has always been the most difficult one to win, and I felt like I was here giving myself a chance. So I still look towards the future, as there’s more opportunities there for me. But every year they get less for everybody. I think you get more aware of it as you get older. But I still like my game in most scenarios out there and like my chances if I keep working hard.”

Andrei Pavel: family comes before tennis

Romanian Andre Pavel, a first time Grand Slam quarterfinalist at this French Open, proved that his priorities are straight and family comes before career.

Pavel, embroiled in a battle with Alex Corretja that was stopped by darkness on Tuesday with the Spaniard leading by two sets and about to serve at 4-5 in the third, chanced forfeiting the match when a feeling came over him that wife, Simone, pregnant with their second child, was about to give birth.

With the weather looking dismal on Wednesday, Pavel rented a car and during the long, eight-hour journey home kept in close contact by cell phone, promising his wife “I’m driving as fast as I can” when he discovered she had indeed gone off to the hospital in labor. In the end, he arrived about a half hour after son Marius, had entered the world two weeks early, but had a bit of time to bond before heading back to Roland Garros.

Pavel, who slept a bit in the car on the way back to Paris, was the first to arrive at the gates of Roland Garros on Thursday, and at first, the guards weren’t sure he was who he said he was at 5:30 a.m. Eventually, he gained entry, took a few hours nap on a player lounge couch and returned to the court for three games to surrender to Corretja 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, 7-5.

“Well, for sure, I’m not going to forget this day all my life,” Pavel said, beaming proudly. “You know, I mean, it’s amazing. I don’t feel even a little bit sorry that I lost right now because I’m so happy to go back home.”

Agassi, the father of an infant son, Jaden, was impressed by Pavel’s decision and odyssey home. “That was pretty amazing,” Agassi said. “He had quite an instinct to head back. And credit to him for valuing that more than he does the French Open.”