A healthy Agassi likely to be here - 網球

Tuesday, July 12, 2005
A healthy Agassi likely to be here

By Dustin Dow
Enquirer staff writer

MASON - Perhaps this year will be Andre Agassi's final appearance in
Cincinnati. Or maybe not. With tennis' seemingly ageless crowd favorite,
it's becoming hard to tell when he's going to stop playing.

If everything goes according to plan, though, Agassi, 35, will still be
slapping backhands and returning serves in the Western & Southern
Financial Group Masters Aug. 15-21 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

The event's television ad appearing locally and regionally was
deliberately queued up Monday for the announcement of the first 51
players to fill out the 64-player field because the commercial features
clips of Agassi and world No. 1 player Roger Federer each saying "I'll
see you in Cincinnati."

That Agassi agreed to film the commercial and make that statement was
enough of an indication to W&S Masters director Bruce Flory that the
most marketable and popular men's tennis player in the country would
be playing in Cincinnati as long as he's healthy.

Agassi was announced as a player expected to play along with
notables Federer, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Rafael Nadal
and Marat Safin.

"My take on him is he definitely plans on playing," Flory said.
"I know it's on his schedule to play here, but obviously with
all the top players, he's the highest risk as far as having an
injury. If he's healthy, we have no indication he wouldn't be
here. He won last year, it makes sense for him to be here.

"I'd be very surprised if he was healthy and not here."

Ranked No. 6 in the world, Agassi receives an automatic entry
into the W&S Masters, as do all of the top 51 players. But with
a body that has been showing its physical limits, Agassi has not
been shy about pulling out of tournaments that aren't in the best
interest of his health.

Two years ago, he withdrew from the W&S Masters just days before
the event started but returned last season to claim the tournament
championship, ending a title drought of 15 months.

It was on the eve of his first match in the W&S Masters last
year that Agassi openly questioned how much longer he would
play professional tennis. Going on to win the tournament lifted
his spirits and his game and provided him the momentum to finish
the season well and continue into this year. But he hasn't won a
tournament since.

He pulled out of Wimbledon in June with an injury, and expects to
play in the RCA Championships in Indianapolis next week, his first
tournament since losing in the first round of the French Open in
late May.

Barring another injury flare up, he will be back in Cincinnati in
August where his presence is important to the tournament organizers,
who realize that as long as Agassi is still playing, he's going to
be the top draw.

"He's so popular, fans want to see him play," Flory said. "Obviously,
it has monetary value. More people are going to buy tickets. It helps
TV ratings when he plays. There's a ton of reasons, but at the core,
we don't like seeing our fans disappointed. And if he dropped out,
fans would be disappointed.

"There's a sense of urgency with him too because you never know
when his last match is going to happen. Most of the other guys,
you know there will be another year. Who knows if (Agassi) has any
more years?"

The field will include 51 players directly chosen (below), four
wild cards, eight qualifiers and one special exemption entry.

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