|
|
| |
| ||
|
| ||
 |
 Agassi clowns through Open comeback
Posted: Monday September 07, 1998 11:19 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mimicry and moonballs helped give Andre Agassi a chance to save a place in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Down two sets and showing few signs of life Monday night, Agassi suddenly turned things around and pushed the match against Karol Kucera to a fourth set before rain ended play. Kucera led 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 0-3, when the last of a series of Labor Day showers pushed the end of the match to Tuesday. The winner plays top ranked Pete Sampras in the quarters. Agassi is 4-1 in five-setters at the U.S. Open, including a 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 3-6, 6-1 victory over Guillame Raoux in the second round. Agassi became upset by Kucera's repeated tossing of the ball on serves in the third set. "Can he do that on every point?" Agassi asked umpire Norm Chryst. Chryst said Kucera was within the rules. On his next service game, Agassi started to mimic Kucera, making toss after toss. Chryst watched closely, signs of a grin appearing on his face, but let the tennis showman do his schtick as Agassi tied the third set 4-4. Agassi then started hitting moonballs -- long, floating lobs with little speed -- in the next game, and while Kucera, the No. 9 seed from Slovakia, held serve, Agassi had altered the tempo and gotten to his opponent, Kucera pointed his finger at Agassi at one point and tossed a ball in his direction on the changeover. Agassi was pumped up. With his wife, actress Brooke Shields, cheering wildly, he held for 5-5, pumping his fist at Kucera and yelling "Come on!" The eighth-seeded American then ran off eight straight points to win the 12th game and take a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker before converting his first set point of the rainy evening on a blistering forehand into the corner. The momentum held through the opening three games of the fourth set, before a light mist turned into steady rain.
| |||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||
