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One Year Ago on the ATP:
September 17: Shangahi - First Round:
Byron Black def. (7) Lars Burgsmuller 7-6(8-6) 6-3
At the time, we said, "The ATP is full of players like Lars Burgsmuller: Specialists of one sort or another, who spend years hovering somewhere outside the top 100, but in one year or another manage to put everything together, and get some nice draws, and briefly take a big surge in the rankings. For Burgsmuller, 25, German, and a clay expert, this is his big year, and it's gotten him to #73 in the Entry Rankings. But it doesn't mean much; this isn't clay, and chances are he'll be back where he came from next year." That was a good call; Burgsmuller did fall in the middle of 2002, though he's regained most of the ground since. And he's still playing; Black is through.
September 18: Shanghai - First Round
Irakli Labadze def. (1) Andre Agassi 7-6(7-4) 7-5
We've now mathematically demonstrated that Andre Agassi is at his most vulnerable, or unconcerned, in first round matches (see "First Round's the Charm," August 7, 2002); this really wasn't much of a surprise. But it did get Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze some publicity. It also gave him reason to call home. When he told his brother that he'd beaten Agassi, his childhood idol, his brother didn't believe him.
September 19: Shanghai - Second Round
Francisco Clavet (4) def. Hyung-Taik Lee 6-4 6-2
With Andre Agassi out of Shanghai, we wondered who might be left to win it. We thought Clavet -- the winner at Scottsdale -- might have had a shot, because he'd been cruising to this point. Obviously it didn't turn out that way; Scottsdale was really his last hurrah. It's been Lee who has been climbing since.
September 20: Shanghai - Second Round
Rainer Schuettler (2) def. Ivo Heuberger 6-3 6-4
At the time, we talked mostly about the ranking system and how its diseased rules caused Rainer Schuettler, then #59 in the world, to be the top ranked player to take "regular" entry into Shanghai. (Andre Agassi, the #1 seed, was wildcarded -- and, we expect, paid a hefty appearance fee for that loss of his.) But Schuettler at least would prove he was worthy of that wildcard, as the sequel was to show: He won the tournament, and since then has moved up into the Top 25. Now the question becomes, can he stay there as he is forced to replace optional events, like this one, with required?
September 23: Davis Cup - Australia vs. Sweden Semifinal
Lleyton Hewitt def. Thomas Johansson 7-6(7-3) 5-7 6-2 6-1
At the time, we said, "One of these days, someone is going to beat Lleyton Hewitt at Davis Cup. (Or beat him somewhere, anyway.) But it hasn't happened yet." Of course, it did happen in the Davis Cup final, and the someone was Nicolas Escude. But that isn't the really shocking part, in hindsight: The amazing thing is, it was Johansson, and not Hewitt, who won the 2002 Australian Open!
Five Years Ago: Davis Cup week/no ATP events played
Ten Years Ago: No ATP events played.
September 17: Shangahi - First Round:
Byron Black def. (7) Lars Burgsmuller 7-6(8-6) 6-3
At the time, we said, "The ATP is full of players like Lars Burgsmuller: Specialists of one sort or another, who spend years hovering somewhere outside the top 100, but in one year or another manage to put everything together, and get some nice draws, and briefly take a big surge in the rankings. For Burgsmuller, 25, German, and a clay expert, this is his big year, and it's gotten him to #73 in the Entry Rankings. But it doesn't mean much; this isn't clay, and chances are he'll be back where he came from next year." That was a good call; Burgsmuller did fall in the middle of 2002, though he's regained most of the ground since. And he's still playing; Black is through.
September 18: Shanghai - First Round
Irakli Labadze def. (1) Andre Agassi 7-6(7-4) 7-5
We've now mathematically demonstrated that Andre Agassi is at his most vulnerable, or unconcerned, in first round matches (see "First Round's the Charm," August 7, 2002); this really wasn't much of a surprise. But it did get Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze some publicity. It also gave him reason to call home. When he told his brother that he'd beaten Agassi, his childhood idol, his brother didn't believe him.
September 19: Shanghai - Second Round
Francisco Clavet (4) def. Hyung-Taik Lee 6-4 6-2
With Andre Agassi out of Shanghai, we wondered who might be left to win it. We thought Clavet -- the winner at Scottsdale -- might have had a shot, because he'd been cruising to this point. Obviously it didn't turn out that way; Scottsdale was really his last hurrah. It's been Lee who has been climbing since.
September 20: Shanghai - Second Round
Rainer Schuettler (2) def. Ivo Heuberger 6-3 6-4
At the time, we talked mostly about the ranking system and how its diseased rules caused Rainer Schuettler, then #59 in the world, to be the top ranked player to take "regular" entry into Shanghai. (Andre Agassi, the #1 seed, was wildcarded -- and, we expect, paid a hefty appearance fee for that loss of his.) But Schuettler at least would prove he was worthy of that wildcard, as the sequel was to show: He won the tournament, and since then has moved up into the Top 25. Now the question becomes, can he stay there as he is forced to replace optional events, like this one, with required?
September 23: Davis Cup - Australia vs. Sweden Semifinal
Lleyton Hewitt def. Thomas Johansson 7-6(7-3) 5-7 6-2 6-1
At the time, we said, "One of these days, someone is going to beat Lleyton Hewitt at Davis Cup. (Or beat him somewhere, anyway.) But it hasn't happened yet." Of course, it did happen in the Davis Cup final, and the someone was Nicolas Escude. But that isn't the really shocking part, in hindsight: The amazing thing is, it was Johansson, and not Hewitt, who won the 2002 Australian Open!
Five Years Ago: Davis Cup week/no ATP events played
Ten Years Ago: No ATP events played.