Given that CBS likes to create a buildup to the biggest matches, many were surprised that the Agassi-Ginepri match will be first on court today. 'We almost completed the anti-Slam,' joked Bob Bryan. Open doubles title, 6-1, 6-4 over Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi. But then again, he could run into the knife more brutally.'īriefly: Former Stanford stars Bob and Mike Bryan, beaten finalists in the first three majors, broke through with a U.S. Asked if he felt Hewitt might attempt a significant change in strategy, Federer answered, 'He could, you know. Roger Federer: Defending champion, one set lost in the tournament, 22 straight victories in finals, 33 straight wins on hard courts (Sampras has the record at 34). 'I wish I had some secret formula, but there's no such thing against Roger,' Hewitt said. Lleyton Hewitt: For a change, Hewitt has played a tournament free of acrimony, and he's likely to be particularly humble against Federer, who has won their last eight meetings. 'I'm working a lot harder, not getting down on myself, keeping my focus.'

Ginepri's first-ever run to a major semifinal is no surprise to his followers, well aware of his punishing groundstrokes and all-court command. I sort of had to take matters into my own hands, and tennis was the way to do it.' When I was younger, in team sports, I'd get mad at people if they screwed up. Robby Ginepri: Always a superb all-around athlete, Ginepri took up tennis because 'it's all on you. Were Agassi to pull that off, it would be his ninth major title, moving him out of a tie (at eight) with Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Fred Perry and Ken Rosewall.

The retirement issue remains secondary to winning this tournament, a feat that undoubtedly will require a triumph over Federer in Sunday's final. The last of those, in 2002, gave Sampras the opportunity to retire with his 14th Grand Slam title - and he did exactly that, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.Įveryone in tennis looked admiringly upon Sampras' farewell, particularly Agassi, the onetime tennis rebel who has developed a keen sense of history. He was 0-4 against Sampras here, including three losses in the final. The spectacle called up memories of the Agassi-Sampras rivalry, one that never went Agassi's way at the National Tennis Center. Agassi's run took on fairy-tale dimensions Wednesday night, when he engaged James Blake in one of the most enthralling Open matches ever. Now it's Super Saturday at the Open, with Agassi playing Robby Ginepri in today's semifinals prior to the Roger Federer-Lleyton Hewitt match and the women's final between Mary Pierce and Kim Clijsters.

But I have absolutely no idea how long I'll keep playing the game. 'My body plays by different rules now,' Agassi said this week.

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