AA第二輪賽後訪問 - 網球

Q. In the last three years, apart from the Australian Open, would you
say you've underachieved in the Grand Slams in the last three years?

ANDRE AGASSI: Sorry?

Q. Last three years.

ANDRE AGASSI: Last three years? That would be ?? I'll have to
replay it. Do you have my results there?

Q. You won Australia 2001 and 2003, four finals, the French.

ANDRE AGASSI: I know, a couple wins, that's pretty good.

Q. Is it your best level you're playing now?

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, tonight was a difficult match because we never
played each other before, so it always takes a while to settle down. I felt
like once I settled down, I started hitting my shots a lot cleaner, then felt
really good about it.

Q. Talk about the transition you made in your game from the first and
second sets?

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, you know, we took a while to sort of get a
clear assessment as to what his real strengths were. Obviously, his forehand's
a bigger shot, but which way he sort of likes to hit it, sort of his serve. I
wasn't picking up his serve very well the first set.
I felt like I started moving on the serve a little better, started reading his
serve a little better. I thought my backhand up the line started getting a lot
more direct, with a lot more purpose, which allowed me to stay in control of a
lot more baseline points, then I started loosening up on my forehand and
started hitting some big forehands. It was like a four?point swing.

Q. Did you practice against a lefty, speaking of serve?

ANDRE AGASSI: Yesterday, I had a hit with a lefty, just to get
used to the different spin.

Q. Did it help? Did you still need a set?

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, it helps. But, you know, there's a lot of
subtleties involved when you play against somebody, especially never playing
them before, sort of how to read their serve. Everybody has a different motion,
everybody has a different place of contact, everybody likes to hit different
serves at different times. So all that still takes a while when you never
played somebody.

Q. The learning process of it wasn't just so much him being a
southpaw; was it more just learning his serve?

ANDRE AGASSI: No, it was a combination of what his strengths are.
You know, he can slide his serve around, and then he's quick enough to get to
turn the next balls into forehands. So he has a good one?two punch. It's a good
lefty serve, spinny serve, which sometimes it's hard to hit cleanly. If you
leave that short or leave that hanging, he dances around and he can jack the
forehand either direction.
You know, once I got it to his backhand, I was in control of the point. There
were just a lot of games where he was serving where he was getting the first
crack at the first shot.

Q. When you play someone like him, do you have like a tactic or do
you say "I play my game, that's enough"? You said you never played before.
Did it just develop?

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, the idea is to make your opponent deal with
you. See, in tennis it's not so much about exact strategy as much as about
imposing your will. So you need strategy sometimes in order to do that.
Sometimes you don't. Sometimes you're strong enough against a certain type of
player where you can just lean on all your shots and control everything.
But today was a day where I needed to make sure that I was hitting the ball
deep at certain times so he couldn't get around it. Other times I needed to
hit it short so he couldn't get around it.
So my strategy was to control the point. The way I needed to do that was I
needed to get to his backhand first.

以上是記者發問關於今天AA如何應付這位左手持拍選手的問題，AA表示由於兩
人從未交手過，所以花了點時間適應，並如劉中興教練所評析，由於對手常愛閃身以正拍
攻擊，所以AA試著把球盡量推向對手的反拍，製造機會獲取分數。

Q. You're playing Kafelnikov next round.

ANDRE AGASSI: It's going to be a good match. He has a lot of
experience. We've played some great matches in the past. You know, we're both
going to be looking to do the same thing, which is control the baseline.

Q. Do you like playing against him?

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I do.

Q. He talked about retiring in the last year if they won the Davis
Cup. Changed his mind. Are you surprised to see him out here at a high
level?

ANDRE AGASSI: I'm not surprised, no. I think he's very talented.
You know, I think had he gone about his career, say, more by investing in
himself a little bit more, by choosing his tournaments, by trying to peak for
the right tournament, I think he could have accomplished a lot more than he
has.
But he's still out here because of his game. You know, he does a lot of things
well out there.

以上談到下一輪對手為老卡，AA認為會是場好比賽，他說老卡與他都知道要
掌握底線。


Q. Would anything less than winning this tournament be a
disappointment for you?

ANDRE AGASSI: It's always a disappointment to lose. It's always a
disappointment. You know, I'm here to win. Ultimately, you just want somebody
to play a great match to beat you because it's a lot easier to live with that
.
Q. How much easier is it to play in front of the home crowd here?

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, it's great to have the support. I always love
playing here in New York, especially in the night. You know, it's just a great
atmosphere, unlike any other. You know, they pull you through. After 17 years,
they don't want to see a fourth set with me, which is something I appreciate
(smiling). For a good stage of my career, they supported me. Going too smoothly
, stay out here a little bit longer. You know, they really were giving me a lot
of support out there.

AA認為在紐約打球很棒，也感謝17年來觀眾持續的支持。

Q. You and Todd are two months apart, both 33. When did you first
meet? What kind of connection do you have now?

ANDRE AGASSI: First time we played? I think we played in
Indianapolis the first time. I didn't really know Todd as a junior. Been on
tour a long time together. Certainly a respect I have for him as a player, the
way he conducts himself on the court and off the court.

關於老馬丁，AA青少年時期跟他不熟，AA對無論是場內或場外的老馬丁，都有
一份敬意。

Q. You withdrew from the Cincinnati tournament. Did the rest help y
ou to prepare better for the US Open?

ANDRE AGASSI:Yeah, I think so. I had enough matches over the
summer. It's very important for me to choose my tournaments wisely. I don't
have energy to burn anymore, certainly mentally as much as physically. It's
important for me to come here fresh, ready to go. I feel pretty good. I feel
like I've done it right to give myself the best chance.

Q. You feel totally fit; no injury concerns whatsoever?

ANDRE AGASSI: That's correct. I feel real good.

AA說放棄辛辛那提示為了保持好狀態在美網表現。他認為自己現在身心狀態
都很好。 (且讓我們拭目以待)

Q. You have many Grand Slam titles, all surfaces. What is your
motivation to continue playing?

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I think, you know, for me it's never been
about winning tournaments; it's always been about trying to get better as a
tennis player. I think it's important for every athlete, when their career is
done, to be able to say they got the most out of their tennis, out of their
game, that they got to see their best level, whether it's for a week or whether
it's for, you know, five years. I want to always push myself to get better,
and I want to feel like I'm playing tennis I've never played before. That's
my motivation.





--