Agassi wins third Mercedes-Benz title

By Scott Schultz
DAILY BRUIN senior STAFF
[email protected]

Ten years ago, Andre Agassi said to a national audience that
“Image is everything.”

When it was his catch phrase, he was referring to his image as a
wild youth ““ complete with long hair and colorful outfits.
These days, the image of Sunday’s Mercedes-Benz champion is
the polar opposite.

Now Agassi, a champion at all four Grand Slam events, is a
legendary veteran presence on the ATP tour that is in desperate
need of a leader.

“He knows everything that’s going on on the
court,” Jan-Michael Gambill said about Agassi, who defeated
him in the championship match on July 28. “He has the ability
to anticipate every strategy that you would attempt.”

Agassi, who practiced with Gambill earlier in the week,
immediately noticed that Gambill was working on a new type of spin
on his serve and approached him on it, according to Gambill.

“Andre and I have always had great practice
sessions,” Gambill said. “Andre’s always been a
great friend, and he gives great advice.”

His veteran savvy was visibly evident on the court as Agassi was
able to minimize his movement on the court while forcing Gambill to
earn every point.

However, more importantly, Agassi displayed a sense of calm on
the court when the balls didn’t land where he wanted them.
That’s something the younger American players like Gambill,
Andy Roddick and Taylor Dent, who would curse, complain to the line
judges, and slam their rackets, could learn from.

However, Agassi is very modest when he assesses his position as
a mentor to the younger American players on the tour.

“Any time that you get ranked among the great champions of
the sport, it is a phenomenal compliment,” Agassi said.
“I try to go about my work and going about how it should be
done. However, I inquire about certain choices sometimes, if
it’s something I wouldn’t do.”

Agassi, who was the oldest player competing at this year’s
tournament, says he can still improve his game in areas such as his
serve, and he credits his approach to conditioning as a vital
element of maintaining his high level of success.

“My goal is to make my opponent reach the bottom of their
gas tank,” Agassi said.

“It gets harder and harder each year, physically, mentally
and emotionally,” he added.

This year with former stars Pete Sampras and Michael Chang
battling injuries and staring retirement in the face, Agassi has
been receiving additional praise from the younger players as
someone who raises the level of play of his opponents, because if
they don’t play their best game against the legend, they will
lose in short order.

“I feel that if you work hard and keep improving, you can
lead with your work ethic,” Agassi said.

And, after all, as the future Hall of Famer will tell you,
“Image is everything.”