[Tennis Fool]

Thomas Enqvist def. Andre Agassi (2), 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-1.

Good news for Hewitt and Federer...

Maybe he's suffering from exhaustion? Clay season will be verrrry interesting...

 

[Mr. Man]

Go Potato! Win the title.

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

Go Potato: home with Agassi!

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

By the way, I'm pretty sure that Hewitt is the defending champ, and Andre is the defending runner up. Right?

 

[christinaE]

No wrong. Hewitt did not play there last year.

Juan Balcells is the the defending runner up.

I don't know if he made the draw.

 

[ktwtennis]

Yeah, Agassi is definitely defending champ b/c I remember seeing his dad there last yr. And this was Agassi's 50th career victory.

 

[Sjengster]

I doubt that he's suffering from exhaustion, he's only played two tournaments even if he has won them both (for the loss of two sets, I might add).

I suspect this is another case of first-round syndrome, which can afflict Agassi a lot in these tournaments, and especially at Scottsdale where he has had a rather up and down record: 1st round loss in 2001 to Clavet, who went on to win the title, winner in 2002 (beating Clavet in the 1st round, an unbelievable draw that one) and then 1st round again, this time to Enqvist. Perhaps history will repeat and Thomas will claim the title? Dubious, as this is only his second win of the year.

Still, we should give credit to Enqvist - his record shows that he has the right flat-hitting baseline game to play Agassi, and he must have executed perfectly in the final set. It certainly helps the other leading contenders, but Agassi still has a big Race lead over Schuettler in 2nd place, and he won't be passed this week.

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

I might remind everybody of the summer of 2001, when Agassi was still carrying nearly a 200 point lead over Kuerten, and he somehow managed to blow it (to Kuerten, and then Hewitt).

By the way, sorry for screwing that up. I was obviously thinking San Jose.

 

[Angele]

I remember reading somewhere that San Jose was moved this year and so Lleyton and Andre's points didn't come off the week San Jose was played this week... Anybody know anything more about that?

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

I'm pretty sure that Andre's points came off and were replaced with his new points from this year. Hewitt's didnt' come off untill this week or last week. Why ones came off and anothers didn't, makes no sense to me.

Perhaps I have it wrong...

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

By the way, the "champions race" is not interesting untill Madrid.

 

[GabbylovesLleyton]

Lets win Sexy Lleyton........go get some plastic surgery Agassi!

 

[Angele]

So then after this tournament Lleyton should again regain a more sizeable lead over Andre since Andre won last year and lost first round here? And Lleyton also has the possibility of gaining points since he didn't play... am I making any sense here?

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

Yes, that is correct. My previous comments about Andre being number one after Indian Wells either way (in another thread) were wrong, because I was writing that thinking that Hewitt had won Scotsdale last year.

Andre can still pass him at Indian Wells though, if I'm not mistaken, seeing as Hewitt defends 500 points and Andre defends 1. But it's far less likely.

 

[Angele]

How many points will Andre lose because of his loss today?

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

Agassi will lose 175 from Scotsdale, but he picks up 75 from a semifinal in Houston, which was his 6th best optional event (now his 5th).

So he loses 100 points altogether (175-75).

Hewitt can gain 175 at the most, so at the very most he can gain 275 points of Agassi.

 

[Angele]

So Lleyton is still vulnerable going into IW...

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

I'll break down the next few weeks for you, taking off points as we go:

March 3:
Hewitt 4480
Agassi 4450

March 10 - Scotsdale points removed:
Hewitt 4480
Agassi 4350

March 17 - Indian Wells points removed:
Hewitt 3980
Agassi 4345

After Miami points are removed:
Hewitt 3755
Agassi 3845


Hewitt is defending Indian Wells, and semis in Miami = 725
Agassi is defending 1 points at Indian Wells, and Miami = 505

Difference= 220

 

[Chloe le Bopper]

So Lleyton is still vulnerable going into IW...

Quite, actually. At first glance I thought that this would make a huge impact on Andre's chance at number one, but really it doesn't.

Hewitt defends 220 MORE points than Andre does in Indian Wells and Miami. The Scotsdale winner only gets 175 points. So even if he wins Scotsdale, he still has to gain more points than Andre in Indian Wells and Miami (combined) in order to be number on when they are both over.



Now, dealing with just the period between Indian Wells and Miami:

Hewitt's worst optional event in the last year that is being counted, is 's-Hertogenbosch, where he won 40 points. So if he wins Scotsdale, he'll gain 135 points (175-40). Which means that with his Indian Wells points off, he'll have 4115 points (4480-500+135).

Agassi with his Indian wells points off, still has 4345 points, and a 230 point lead on Hewitt with their Indian Wells points drops.

This means, that for Hewitt to be number one right after Indian Wells:

IF he wins Scotsdale, Hewitt has to make the finals and hope that Agassi loses in the round of 16 and earlier. Otherwise, he has to defend his title, and hope that Agassi loses before the finals.

If Hewitt doesn't win Scotsdale, it gets a little bit easier for Agassi.

Basically, if Hewitt doesn't win Indian Wells, odds are heavily against him. Especially seeing as Enqvist just did Andre a bit favour by knocking him out early...

 

[Angele]

So it really doesn't look good then huh? Thanks for the info Becca :kiss: