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Third time the charm Agassi steps out of Sampras' shadow
Posted: Monday June 07, 1999 12:03 PM
PARIS (Reuters) -- Andre Agassi's French Open final victory to complete a full set of Grand Slam titles will give Pete Sampras fresh incentive to match the achievement, a top coach predicted on Monday. Agassi's career has largely been overshadowed by Sampras but the 29-year-old American's five-set victory over Andrei Medvedev on Sunday gave him a title still missing from Sampras's list of wins. Agassi became only the fifth man to clinch all four Grand Slam crowns after Fred Perry, Don Budge, Roy Emerson and Rod Laver, who presented the trophy on Sunday. He had previously lost French Open finals in 1990 and 1991. Sampras has repeatedly said that winning the French Open is his last major challenge and Agassi's victory after years in the doldrums will give him an extra spur in 2000. But he will have to pay the price for the elusive Roland Garros trophy and stay away from home for three weeks at least to prepare on European clay against Spanish or South American specialists. "If Agassi can do it, there is no reason why Sampras should not, but he will have to work really hard," said French coach Patrice Hagelauer. Hegelauer was hired by Britons Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski to improve their game on clay this season with considerable success for two serve-and-volley exponents. Henman actually moved up a place to sixth in the world rankings on Monday after a much-improved clay-court campaign despite losing in the first week in Paris. Like Agassi, Graf brought nostalgia as well as excitement to the French Open as she clocked up her 22nd Grand Slam title and sixth Paris victory with a three-set win over the petulant Swiss Martina Hingis. Graf, who will turn 30 on June 14, said afterwards she would be retiring from the tournament because she could not top the memory of a win snatched from a break and 5-4 down in the second set. It was the German's first Grand Slam final in three years following a wretched spell of injuries which nearly forced her retirement. She now stands two short of Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles. Graf admitted she had never played against such a gifted player as Hingis but experience saved her as her Swiss opponent cracked under pressure. "Be patient, you will have many more chances," Graf told the 18-year old Hingis. But the Swiss, who has now lost her two finals here -- she bowed to Croatia's Iva Majoli two year ago -- must be wondering whether she's not affected by the same Roland Garros jinx as Agassi used to be. With other teenage stars, such as the Williams sisters and Russian Anna Kournikova, who came close to beating Graf in Paris, also improving fast, Hingis might find it more difficult to win the French Open than Graf forecasts.
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