by Brian Cleary
Saturday, September 3, 2005
Getting off to a slow start, Andre Agassi dropped the first set to the big-serving Czech Tomas Berdych, giving the pro-Agassi crowd some anxious moments in Arthur Ashe Stadium. But, as if to assure his fans that at 35, he's still got the goods, No. 7 Agassi picked up his game in the second and took control of the match, winning 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (2).
"I went out there. I didn't really have my timing at the start. I think I was still in the locker room a little bit in the first set,'' Agassi said after the match. "I knew it could only get better from there."
Agassi gift-wrapped the first set by double faulting twice in the fourth game, an opening the dangerous Berdych, just 19 years old, took advantage of easily with his power game. But in the second set, Agassi did indeed get better and, as he's done so many times before in his career, started taking the ball earlier and working his opponent around the court. Ultimately, he was able to wear down the 6-foot-4 Berdych and grab the breaker in the fourth for the win. Berdych finished the match with 43 unforced errors compared to Agassi's 23.
"In the fourth set, I was just thinking make him play a quality match to win this,'' said Agassi, who is playing in his 20th straight US Open, a record he shares with Jimmy Connors.
This match was a classic example of the discrepancy in experience Agassi has over many of his opponents at this stage in his career, particularly a 19-year-old like Berdych. Agassi had a career record going into the match on hard courts of 577-150, while Berdych's was just 21-18. Agassi has won 60 career titles to Berdych's one. He has a 216-50 career Grand Slam record. Berdych? A pleasant 10-8.
Agassi was feeling good about his game after the match saying, "I was at a place where the standard of my game was really high in the fourth set and that's good news for me.''
He next takes on the winner of the Xavier Malisse-Mikhail Youzhny match.