French Open 2005

[Dan Gould]

Just saw the end of the match, Agassi bounced in the first round, 6-0 in the fifth. Is this the end? Its not that I expected him to win or anything, but to lose in the first round to some 23 year old ...

I guess the assumption has been all along that this would be his last year anyway, its too bad this is how its gone. Better luck at Wimbledon and the French, Mr. Steffi Graf!

Meanwhile, I think Federer and Nadal are looking like the favorites, and I have a strange feeling that Miss Henin-Hardenne is going to complete her comeback from her injuries and win it all, even though I'd love to see Miss Sharapova win another slam.

[brownie]

The former young boy wonder Andre Agassi is 35 nowadays. He seemed to have trouble with a leg injury for his opening match. Sorry to see him go.

With this match, Agassi set a new record for participation in major tournaments having taken part in 58 of those! That is plain awesome!

Time for a new generation. The younger ones are coming up!

[Dan Gould]

Actually, he said in his press conference afterward that its a sciatic nerve problem in his back. He thought it was a hip problem for a while and then found out what the true problem was. He had a cortisone shot that helped out earlier in the year but it really flared up on him. Its too bad, because it sounds like it will take a minor miracle for him to compete in best of five matches at the remaining Slams. I guess he stayed out there through the last two sets because he knows he won't be back to the French again and didn't want to go out on an injury retirement.

[Dave James]

I haven't watched any tennis for so long, especially on the men's side, that I'm pretty much out of the loop. It's been long enough that I can't remember if clay was ever Agassi's surface of choice. If you've ever played on clay, you already know it's a totally different game. Still, at 35, and with all the young, boring guns serving it up at 120+, he can't play forever. Too bad he went out so early, though, especially if he won't be drinking from that well again. I'm sure the French crowd would have loved to see him make a serious run.

Up over and out.

[Dan Gould]

Agassi won the French once, in 1999. Certainly as a baseline pounder, his game was more suited to clay than grass, but he didn't come through very often.

I've certainly grown to admire Agassi a helluva lot more than I did when he was all about the denim shorts, the hair, and "image is everything."

[Dave James]

My sense is that he's a first class guy. I've liked him right from the get go, from big hair to no hair at all. He always gave it 110%. You can't ask for anything more.

Up over and out.

[Soulstation1]

no dre or serena

ss1