10 years after, Agassi-Sampras rivalry climaxes again

Scheduled to meet in an exhibition match last April in Buenos Aires, Agassi and Sampras decided to cancel the match on a last call decision.

After a clear-cut win of Sampras on their last meeting in Madison Square Garden last february (6-3, 7-5), Agassi reportedly call sampras to teach him on a less competitive approach of exhibition matches... A phone conversation which turned sour, according to Tennis.com, citing a source close to the matter :

 Agassi "told sampras he should have slowed down a little bit to make it more entertaining and not take the exhibitions that competitively."  

 The conversation "didn't have a friendly ending" according to this report, which resulted in Sampras refusing to meet Agassi on court in their scheduled meeting.

The former n°1 relationship significantly detoriated after the release of Agassi's autobiography "Open", where the Las Vegan ironized over Sampras alleged stinginess.

Agassi homesick on his book signing tour in Paris

Over the past two weeks, Andre Agassi has been the high-profile guest of many French radio and TV stations on his visit to Paris to promote his autobiography "Open".

But the 8-times Grand Slam winner can't wait to get it over with.... To go back home and show his pictures of the "City of Lights" to his kids !

Ref : http://www.lefigaro.fr/lefigaromagazine/2010/01/02/01006-20100102ARTFIG00108--andre-agassi-tourne-la-page-.php

 

Is Agassi really coming clean ?

Reading some comments in blogs worlwide, we found many asking a relevant question : "is Agassi really coming clean with his autobiography ?".

Some think, with reasons, that his belated revelations tarnish his reputation.

Extract from a  New-York Times sports article reviewing the flops of 2009 with one comment from French  editor Jean-Philippe Leclair  

"What kind of message does that send? Take drugs, make money and wait for twenty years before asking the world to forgive you".


Ref : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/sports/30forumtwo.html?_r=1

So, is Agassi really coming clean ?

Agassi : "I picture myself older, fat, and happy to be that way"

Agassi made a joke-answer to a journalist who asked him how he pictured himself in ten years, in an interview published in French Magazine Paris Match  :

"I see myself fat, old, and happy to be that way... No actually, I mind my weight a lot"

Ref : http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/Sport/Actu/Agassi-confession-d-un-enfant-de-la-balle-154040/

Agassi : "My father wanted us to live the American Dream"

Agassi accounted for his father's relentless will for success that would push him to hate tennis, in a recent interview to French Magazine Paris Match:

"His only dream in life was for his children to live a better life that his. That they live the American Dream. My father is a warrior, he never surrenders".

Ref : http://www.parismatch.com/People-Match/Sport/Actu/Agassi-confession-d-un-enfant-de-la-balle-154040/

For twitterians, is Agassi's Open a page-turner ?

Of course, twitterians are divided about Agassi's autobiography Open, but most were caught by the story which is often reduced to a pile of shocking revelations.

A good method to assess its success is too spot the last messages on Twitter with the key word "Agassi". That's what we did with our twitter profile  : http://twitter.com/AgassiSupport   

VickiBohlsen simply couldn't "keep her head out of the book Open", while greendaylove38 quoted an extract from the autobiography : ""it must be bizarre to have strangers think they know me and love me beyond reason"

jonpg78 calls the fans to read the book "Anyone who's a fan of tennis, or sports in general, needs to read the Agassi book "Open""

sutherlandjamie "just finished Agassi's story and couldn't put it down".

rosiebohl simply "enjoyed the Andre Agassi autobiography"

Ok, that's an experiment but since we call for fair treatment on this blog, up to you now to pick up the bad vibes on Agassi's autobiography and to post them in the comments ;)

http://twitter.com/AgassiSupport

Agassi : "Tennis doesn't like cheaters"'

In a recent interview to French daily Metro, Agassi accepted the general outcry created by the release of his autobiography "Open", and even found justified the reactions from many top tennis players, including Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal."

"In a way, it's good that the world of professional tennis didn't support me. Tennis doesn't like cheaters. And here is somebody who gets away with it"

Adding : "But I was 141 in the world, and nobody predicted I could come back. That's why they (the ATP) concluded it was no performance-enhancing drug"

Ref : http://www.metrofrance.com/sport/agassi-le-tennis-n-aime-pas-les-tricheurs/milp!FE5z04YVM2OmY/