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| May 26, 2003 | Monday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 23,1424 |
Big names face personal battles in French Open
PARIS, May 25: Records hang in the air, tempting Andre Agassi. Fears lurk, taunting Lleyton Hewitt and an emotional farewell beckons for one of the French Open’s fairytale characters when the second grand slam of the year slides into action on Monday.
For Agassi, just one more win at the Parisian showpiece will leapfrog him over Mats Wilander in the list of all-time wins on the Roland Garros red clay.
Only Guillermo Vilas, Ivan Lendl, Nicola Pietrangeli and Bjorn Borg have won more matches at the famous arena.
A second-round victory would also draw him level with his arch-rival Pete Sampras on 762 career victories — a record for an active player.
A second triumph at the Stade Roland Garros to add to his 1999 win would make Agassi the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the first two grand slams of the year.
The American needs his 33-year-old legs to power him around the court like never before if he is to achieve the feat.
Experience should help. “I’m at a place in my career where I have the luxury of using my experience,” Agassi said.
“Most people who have my experience aren’t playing any more. My body is still holding up, my mind is still eager and my heart still wants it.”
Hewitt also “wants it” but knows fear of failure and lack of confidence must be conquered first.
“Maybe I have to work a bit harder on clay,” the top seed said earlier this week. “It’s a challenge and I’ve always liked challenges. Whether I will ever win Roland Garros and master playing on clay, who knows? But I’ll give it a shot.”
One who gave it a great shot and achieved records, is Michael Chang who, in 1989, defeated Stefan Edberg in five sets to become the youngest Roland Garros and grand slam champion at the age of 17 years three months.
This year he will make his 16th consecutive appearance at the tournament. It will also be his last.
With an ATP-best 38-8 record in 2003 and lying in second spot behind ATP Champions Race leader Agassi, Roger Federer is in prime position to mount a challenge for his first grand slam title here.
The Swiss, who reached the quarter-finals in Paris in 2001, will hope to erase the memory of his first-round loss to Hicham Arazi 12 months ago with a good performance over the next two weeks.
In the women’s draw it is hard to see who can stop Serena Williams. Serena’s elder sister Venus, the Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne and America’s Jennifer Capriati are all ferocious competitors but an in-form Serena is irrepressible.
Certainly the news for the also-rans was not good on Sunday.
“My fitness is unbelievable right now,” Serena said after a brief practice session on the Parisian clay.
“I just don’t get tired. I’ve been really working on my fitness so I am in really good shape right now - I am happy.
“It feels really great to be back here. I think for me Roland Garros is really, really special. I am very happy to be back.”—Reuters
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