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Joining good company? Agassi looking to make history at Roland Garros
Posted: Saturday June 05, 1999 05:36 PM
PARIS (AP) -- Injury nearly forced Andre Agassi out of the French Open. Now he is just one match away from making history. If he beats Andrei Medvedev in Sunday's final, Agassi will be only the fifth man to triumph at all four Grand Slams -- and the first to win them on three different surfaces. Only three weeks ago, his participation at Roland Garros was in doubt. Agassi said that if the shoulder injury that kept him out of the World Team championship had persisted for two more days, he would have pulled out. Instead, he goes into his third French Open final as favorite. "There's a lot of pressure. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't," Agassi said Saturday after beating Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-4, in a rain-delayed semifinal. Agassi has won three Grand Slam events: Wimbledon in 1992; the U.S. Open in 1994; and the Australian Open in 1995. Fred Perry, Roy Emerson, Don Budge and Rod Laver, who did it twice, are the only men to have won all four. The red clay of Roland Garros has normally been the obstacle. Such greats as Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras have won the other three Slams, but slipped up at the French. No man has won Grand Slams on more than two surfaces: the U.S. Open was played on grass until 1974, the Australian Open until 1988. Agassi said winning Slams on three different surfaces would be "an incredible achievement." Still, he has bad memories of Roland Garros finals, having lost to Andres Gomez and then Jim Courier in the early 1990s. "In 1990 and 1991, I struggled with the Xs and Os. I didn't have the same direction in my career as I do now or the experience personally," he said. Agassi believes that the grind required to come back from a rank of 140 prevented him preparing properly for the big events in recent years. "This year, I had different goals for myself," he said. "I was interested in coming into the Slams feeling strong and fresh and ready. At No. 100, Medvedev is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Roland Garros final in the open era. But having beaten Pete Sampras and tournament favorite Gustavo Kuerten, he demands respect. At his best on clay, Medvedev has a powerful forehand that could trouble Agassi. "I'm very respectful of the shots that he can hit," Agassi said of his opponent. "I've watched him for a long time. He can play some great tennis, especially on clay. So I know my work is cut out." For his part, Agassi still has one of the best returns in the game, and has showed great character to fight back from behind against Arnaud Clement and defending champion Carlos Moya. "Andre is inspired now, he is motivated," Medvedev said. "He is playing well and he is fit." Medvedev said he is just happy to be in the final. "I've surpassed my expectations by a mile. Even if I lose I will be the happiest man on earth," he said. "If you win, that's a bonus. The pressure is finished, now it is time to enjoy the moment."
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