Andre Agassi won the 800th singles match of his career on Tuesday night, beating fellow American Alex Bogomolov Jnr 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Mercedes-Benz Cup at UCLA.
The 34-year-old Agassi is just the sixth player to reach 800 on the ATP Tour since the advent of the Open era in 1968, along with Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas, John McEnroe and Stefan Edberg, who joined the group in September 1996.
”That’s quite a group of guys to be in there with,” said Agassi, whose first win was a 6-4, 6-2 decision over John Austin at La Quinta, California, in 1986, when he was 15.
”They probably accomplished it in half the time that it took me, but regardless, it feels good. It’s special. I don’t really think of the 800 wins as they’re going along. But any time you sort of accomplish something that only some of the best have done, it’s pretty special.”
Getting number 800, however, had taken him even longer than expected. He lost his previous four matches, three in the first rounds of tournaments. He also withdrew from Wimbledon to rest a chronic right-hip injury.
This tournament’s top seed and a three-time champion, Agassi quickly dispelled any upset thoughts Bogomolov might have entertained by racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
”I felt good as far as my movement,” Agassi said after the 54-minute match and a brief on-court ceremony. ”I thought I was going to be a little bit more tentative, but I trusted my legs and pushed through it and I felt good. I felt like for the match I made a lot of good decisions. But I know it can only get better.”
He also acknowledged that his hip problem could resurface.
”I can’t just play one good match and get my hopes up,” Agassi said. ”I’m just taking it slow.”
Earlier on Tuesday, second-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand ousted defending champion Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 6-3, 7-6 (4).
In other matches, Britain’s Greg Rusedski beat seventh seed American Taylor Dent 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-2; third-seeded Mardy Fish of the United States eliminated Jan Vacek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 6-2; Sjeng Schalken of The Netherlands beat Frenchman Gregory Carraz 6-4, 6-4; France’s Julien Benneteau ousted Australian Mark Philippoussis 6-1, 7-5; South Africa’s Wesley Moodie defeated Zach Fleishman of the US 6-4, 6-2; and German Tommy Haas upset eighth-seeded Robby Ginepri of the US 6-4, 6-3.
France’s Cyril Saulnier also won when sixth-seeded Vincent Spadea of the US was forced to retire due to back spasms after losing the first set 6-4.
Paradorn, cheered on by a contingent of Thai fans clad in red shirts, fought off three set points on his serve to force the tiebreaker, then claimed the victory with a service winner.
”I was playing really well today,” said Paradorn, who saved all four break points he faced in the 83-minute match. ”I was moving well and that was getting me to the ball so I could set up [for his shots].”
Rusedski, idle during the first half the year because of a drug controversy he has grown tired of talking about, said ”the only way to fight back is to win matches and play good tennis”.
Rusedski failed a drug test in July 2003, but was exonerated in March because he took supplements supplied by ATP trainers.
The left-hander, fresh off a tournament win on Sunday in Newport, Rhode Island, got all three of his service breaks against Dent in the third set to gain control.
”I returned well from the first ball to the last — especially well in the third set,” Rusedski said. ”I felt like I was playing well and I struck the ball well. Last weekend gave me a lot of confidence.” — Sapa-AP