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Interesting Points in the Agassi Story

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  MisterQ 
#1 ·
Just reading the book "The Agassi Story " written by Andre's dad. Its a great book and he makes a few interesting points about AA's game. He says he sent a teenage Andre to Nick Bollettieri's camp, not because of Nick's sage like knowledge of the game in fact Mike Agassi is pretty unimpressed by the scope of Nick's wisdom, he sent Andre there so he could get good practice playing against the likes of Courier and Wheaton.However he thinks that Bollettieri wrecked AA's game. Mike had taught his son to be a serve and volleyer and Nick turned him into a player who was stuck on the baseline.This refusal to come into the net cost him dearly against Sampras in his US finals. Mike contends that Nick and even Brad Gilbert were too insecure to take his advice on board as a result Andre ended up with a one-dimensional game.He also makes the point that these coaches got Andre to use an oversize racket whereas Sampras and all the big servers used mid-size rackets.Maybe these suggestions if they had been taken on board would have seen or hero reach double figures in the slams, What do people think?
 
#3 ·
Yeah, I found that interesting too.

In a way, Andre's game is evolving a bit closer to his dad's ideal in recent years. At his age he wants shorter points, with a stronger serve, and he is coming in to volley behind many more shots. His drop shots and finesse have been good, and he is using his backhand defensive slice more and more. He even hit a forehand drop shot winner against Federer --- I've almost never seen him hit that shot! :rolls:
 
#5 ·
Agassi doesn't have the serve and our reach to be a serve and volleyer. He maybe would have had more of an all court game. But the fact of the matter is that to compete against Jim Courier and others, he found he had to play from the baseline cause that is where excels. So maybe he would have come to net more, but I can't picture a man of his stature playing serve and volley point in point out.
 
#6 ·
awesome0 said:
Agassi doesn't have the serve and our reach to be a serve and volleyer. He maybe would have had more of an all court game. But the fact of the matter is that to compete against Jim Courier and others, he found he had to play from the baseline cause that is where excels. So maybe he would have come to net more, but I can't picture a man of his stature playing serve and volley point in point out.
Agree!!

If you see Andre in person, you see that the 5'11" attributed to him is right on...or maybe a little bit generous!! And you're right, he doesn't have the reach of a classic serve and volleyer....As tennis players go, he's on the small side...

Besides, why would you want to second guess a career like Andre's...

jcm
 
#7 ·
AWM79 said:
But would he have won the French playing Serve & Volley?
No, I don't think so, since no one else really has since Yannick Noah! :)

But, on a related note... it was Andre's increased willingness to follow his strokes into the net that won him that French Open. In his tight matches (especially against Moya and Medvedev), this strategy gave him just enough of an edge over his opponent.
 
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