Andre Agassi is to begin defence of his Italian Open title on Monday in his first match since becoming the oldest male player ever to be ranked No. 1.
The 33-year-old Agassi is to face 59th-ranked David Ferrer of Spain in the second match scheduled for centre court at the Foro Italico.
The $2,2-million tournament is Agassi’s first European event of the season and a prime opportunity to tune his clay-court game for the May 26-June 8 French Open, the year’s second Grand Slam. Although the way Agassi has been playing so far this year, it doesn’t look like he needs much tuning up.
A week ago, he fought back to defeat fellow American Andy Roddick in the final of the US Men’s Claycourt Championships, which gave him enough points to surpass Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and regain the top spot for the first time since September 10 2000, when he was replaced by Pete Sampras.
Hewitt and Sampras have both pulled out of the Italian Open.
Hewitt indicated he wants more time to rest before beginning his preparations for the French, while Sampras has not played since winning the US Open in September for a record 14th Grand Slam title.
Agassi won his eighth Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January and has a 23-1 record this year heading into the Italian Open.
”It will be a real challenge”, he said.
”I’ll try to give my all and hope it’s a great tournament. Last year I experienced some beautiful emotions here.”
A year ago, Agassi captured his first title in Rome, 13 years after squandering a championship point in the event. While the 1990 loss to Alberto Mancini seemed to be driving Agassi at this time last year, a recent peak inside the Las Vegas native’s mind shows he is not lacking motivation this year either.
”Inside the lines I don’t see age,” Agassi said last week.
”If you were inside my head when I was playing out there you’d think I was in the match of my life, the battle of my life. I don’t know anything different. I play with urgency.
”If I’m up 3-1, I want to be up 4-1. If I’m down 5-1, I want to make the guy wait before the set is over. I don’t allow myself much margin to waver.”
Ferrer, the first player to face that psychological wall, is one of the lower-ranked members of the ”Spanish Armada” that will present a serious threat to Agassi’s hopes of repeating.
Second-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, winner of the Monte Carlo Masters in April and the Valencia Open on Sunday, and third-seeded Carlos Moya, champion of a clay-court event in Barcelona a week ago, lead that challenge.
Russia’s Marat Safin should also pose a threat if he can recuperate from a wrist injury that he said may force him to withdraw. The sixth-seeded Safin is scheduled to begin play on Tuesday against Filippo Volandri, who has posted the best results
among Italian players lately.
Multitalented Roger Federer of Switzerland, the No. 4 seed, captured the BMW Open title in Munich on Sunday. There’s also three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, who had his run of three consecutive Italian Open finals end last year.
”Guga” has a tough first-round opponent in Argentine clay-court specialist Gaston Gaudio. Nevertheless, he appeared upbeat after attending Saturday’s draw.
”This tournament is always the time when I start to play well,” he said.
”It’s a big tournament and hopefully I can play a lot of matches here and be ready for the French Open.”
In all, nine of the top 10 players in the world and 18 of the top 20 are entered.
Britain’s Tim Henman, who is not seeded after seeing his ranking drop to No. 31, opens play in the main stadium against 15th-seeded Argentine clay-court specialist Guillermo Coria.
On Monday night, the No. 5 seed Roddick faces Italian wild card
Andrea Gaudenzi. -Sapa-AP