Aug 31, 2001 05:54 AM
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I must say that as far as Tennis goes, I like players with a bit of charisma. In the past decade no one player has personified 'charisma' more than Andre Agassi.
Bursting onto the scene in the late 1980s as the flambouyant baseliner with the flowing locks. Dressing resplendently in all kinds of colours. Couldn’t quite win the Grand Slam title, but got close in the French final I recall.
Remember his early appearances at Wimbledon? Everyone worried as to whether he’d conform to the rules and wear white. Well, he did, with the long baggy shorts and the shirt that was longer at the back than the front so when he dived around the court he’d give the girls a flash of his belly!
He has had his ups and downs – both on court and off. His showbiz marriage to Brooke Shields had the Media rat pack on his tale day and night. His tennis suffered at times and in the end, so did his marriage.
Now it’s the Tennis ‘doubles’ of the decade with Andre and ex Wimbledon champ Steffi Graf an ‘item’. This has the media sniffing around him again, but he still retains a certain style even if it’s quite a while since he retained those ‘flowing locks’ I mentioned earlier.
Andre – the boy from the glitzy razzmatazz capital of the world – Las Vegas, has definately done good. Maybe not quite as good as he would have done if a certain Mr Sampras had not been around at the same time. But he is a star and one that can still shine brightly again at any tournament at any time.
Now 31, and with his completely shaved head and sporting some short shorts recently at Wimbledon, Agassi despatched big serving Dutchman Peter Wessels in straight sets in the first round there. He then disposed of young Brit, Jamie Delado and a pair of Nicolases - Chilean, Massu and German, Kiefer. But it was to be his year - going down in a classic to Aussie grafter, Patrick Rafter.
But can he win the current US Open? Of course he can - but so can many others. One thing you can be sure of the super showman will entertain us all once more.
In all honesty, despite being a big fan, I don’t care whether Andre wins or not. He is just a great player to watch. He has style, panache and a real flair for his strokeplay. He is one of very few players over the past decade who – although he can hit hard – can make the ball do amazing things. Some of his service returns and passing shots are not even in text books.
He is a natural.
And one of the few players that I can say does not have more hair than me!