November 12, 2002
If the Coat Fits...
By Bill Scott
Andre Agassi doesn't want to get too comfortable with the stylish,
yet constricting, cut of his shiny blue silk Mandarin jacket, which
he donned as part of a lavish opening ceremony in Shanghai at the
Masters Cup.
The agile 32-year-old will need all of his freedom of movement on
court as he strives this week in cutting-edge Shanghai to close an
88-point Champions Race gap on leader Lleyton Hewitt as the chase
for world No. 1 status for the 2002 season goes down to the wire.
The eight-man Masters Cup couldn't have been scripted more
excitingly from the American's points of view. For the ageless,
the thrill is in the chase.
"It's not about age, it's about tennis," said the seven-time Grand
Slam champion, who commented that the slightly garish blue number
he was wearing as part of opening ceremonies in China's 21st century
commercial capital of 17 million might go down a treat in his
no-holds-barred hometown of glitzy Las Vegas.
The evergreen veteran said he never worries about the age gap
between himself and opponents often a decade younger - such as
the 21-year-old Hewitt.
"When I play somebody who is young I don't think about them being
young -- not until I have to order the beer for them, anyway,"
he joked. "I thrive on the challenge ahead. It's what spurs me
on and motivates me."
If he can steal the title away from this year's longtime dominator
Hewitt - he took over the top spot in the Champions race after his
Wimbledon victory in July - Agassi would become the oldest man to
hold the year-end top ranking.
Out to stop Hewitt as well are the rest of an all-star field
comprised of Marat Safin, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa, Juan Carlos
Ferrero, Roger Federer and Jiri Novak.
"It would be great if it (No. 1 happens)," said Agassi. "I'd be
very proud, but there's no point thinking about it until it is
done. We have the world's best players here; there are no favorites,
anyone can beat anyone."
Agassi can barely compare his current form with the game he took
to Sydney a year ago, when - also with a chance at the top spot -
he won just one round-robin match out of three and was on a place
back to Vegas by the time Hewitt lifted the crown as youngest-ever
top man.
But he had other things on his mind, including the birth of his son
Jaden Gil with wife Steffi Graf.
"In Sydney, I was never even close, I never had the faith in my game
to compete. I was a shadow of what I am now."
The veteran is particularly pleased that he's still hot in this
season's chase after not winning a Grand Slam title this season.
He missed out on the Australian Open with a wrist injury, got to
the quarters in Paris, was upset by Thai Paradorn Srichaphan in
the Wimbledon second round, but began a late charge with a final
against Pete Sampras at the U.S. Open.
"I feel pretty good about my game, it's been a good autumn for me,"
said the winner of the Masters Series Madrid and quarter-finalist
at the Masters Series Paris. "My game has come around."
--
Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spend it with you
Oh, such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on
--
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