The Times July 01, 2006
Bank on Agassi to put the super into ‘Super Saturday’
By Brad Gilbert
The top tennis coach says his former pupil is not ready to take his
leave of Wimbledon yet, although Nadal will fight all the way
HAS there ever been a Wimbledon Saturday to match this one? Andre
Agassi facing Rafael Nadal followed by Andy Roddick against Andy
Murray. I’d pay £100 for a ticket. Having been coach to both Andre and
A-Rod, I’m in a privileged position. Equally, I know how important the
crowd is going to be today. They can have a decisive effect on which
way the matches swing.
Against Nadal, Andre needs to be dictating play. He needs to be on the
offence, taking it to the kid. He cannot afford to be defensive. He
has toserve well and make the rallies short – he doesn’t want ten or
12-stroke rallies to develop.
This is a big step up for him. He has seven sets under his belt, he is
familiar with the feeling of best-of-five again and against Andreas
Seppi on Thursday he was a lot better than in his first match.
Nadal was in a huge amount of trouble against Robert Kendrick, but he
got way better in the fourth and fifth sets. What impressed me most
was that he was hitting the ball harder in the fifth than he had been
in the first. He reminds me of "Marvellous" Marvin Hagler, the great
middleweight -put him in the back room and he’ll come out fighting
like nobody.
Take it from me, Agassi is pleased he’s playing Nadal. He wants this,
with great respect to Kendrick.
That’s the kind of guy he is. He loves the meat of the draw. I think
the crowd will be absolutely electric and I really believe they can
help to push him through. They want him to win. They know they will be
seeing Nadal for the next ten years, but this is the last time they’ll
have a chance toget real c lose to Andre.
I know Nadal will be a much better player today as well, but it will
be hot, the court will be a little faster and Andre has a great
shot. He will have spent last night in one of his favourite
restaurants, business as usual. I think he’ll win.
Murray played what was a practice set yesterday but it was also his
best of the tournament so far – very relaxed, in command. A-Rod hasn’t
dropped serve yet and that is the nugget of the match today. Murray
has to take care of his own serve because on this surface it’s almost
impossible to break Andy’s.
He did it three times in San Jose, but that was different.
Revenge doesn’t come into it. Roddick has only lost to Roger Federer
in this tournament in the past three years, he wants this title more
than anything else. Whether or not it’s Murray today doesn’t enter
into it.
CLASHES OF THE DAY
Andy RODDICK (US)
v Andy MURRAY (GB)
Andre AGASSI (US)
v Rafael NADAL (Sp)