Brad Gilbert on Andre Agassi - Part 1

[thespotlightkid]

You can't compare players from two different generations. Generally speaking though Agassi is probably the biggest tennis legend. Nadal, Fed, Djoko, etc are amazing but can't touch what Andre contributed to tennis. Yet.

[JoeyFudd]

Ha, those other clowns were jealous of his looks, I guess, as if the scoreboard would say, Hair - 6, Earrings - 3.

[scottdavis0676]

I have it on good authority that when Brad Gilbert was coaching Agassi, he used to console him after losses with bouts of sodomy. Brad would take Andre to his hotel room, bend him over a chair, and sodomize him

. Agassi later admitted that Brad's "unique" way of helping him to overcome losses was paramount in enabling Andre to play well into his 30s. Gilbert filled Agassi up with knowledge and insight in the form of his seed, which helped him later in his career. Good job Brad!

[MrWycombewanderers]

@scottdavis0676 fag...

[KaitainCPS]

It's difficult to compare Agassi with Federer because racquet technology is so different (especially the modern strings which allow heavy topspin) and average fitness is higher.

If I were a better man, I would say that if born in the same year and playing with the same tech, Federer at his best would beat Agassi at his best. But I have never enjoyed watching any player more than Agassi. SUCH an exciting player, psychologically brittle but a magician with his returns and groundstrokes.

[KaitainCPS]

Sorry, that should be "if I were a betting man"! Although I'd like to be a better man as well...

[prod1gy3000]

Federer could have 100 grand slam titles but his personality, lifestyle, and personal story will never captivate people like Andre's did. Andre Agassi is perhaps the most beloved and recognized tennis player in history. People the world over love the man more than anything no matter how many more grand slam titles other players have. I know that drives a lot of Fed fanboys crazy.

Andre's the only player ever to be ranked in the top 10 in three different decades. Pretty incredible stuff.

[ChrisdeKrazy]

Why andre was so good... hmmm.. I would say his game was his mind, if you can transfer the focus from inside your mind to on the court 100% of the time, Anything in tennis is possible.

[klaasklont]

its a different time in tennis, just as it was when agassi apeared in the time of becker ect... now its nadal and federer... and that will again change.. but for the 90's, agassi was da man!!! he changed a lot!!

[scottdavis0676]

@klaasklont Agassi owns Sampra!. He used to issue Pete a beat down whenever they would meet.

[kiye1983]

Pat Rafter, Goran,Kafelnikov, Courier, Edberg, and so forth from Pete and Andre's generation were all so much better competition than Roddick,Hewitt, Djokovic and so fourth from Federer and Nadal's generation.

[drwood04]

Look, Federer's competition has been underrated:

Nadal - better than Agassi, Courier, or Edberg

Safin - better than Ivanisevic

Roddick - better than Kraijcek

Hewitt - better than Kafelnikov

Djokovic - better than Chang

[UchihaGege]

nadal better then agassi???

you're crasy the guy revolutionised the whole game of tennis man!

[Nigelxman]

@UchihaGege No question that Nadal has already had a better career than Agassi. Sorry that you aren't willing to admit that.

[bull864]

@Nigelxman Nadal doesn't play the competition Agassi played in the 80's and 90's. The game has been watered down, and that has contributed to Nadal and Federer's dominance. Those guys are great players, but they wouldn't have all the titles if they had played in a different era.

[Ahil982]

@UchihaGege

AHAHAHAHAA Agassi is amazing tennis player, but Nadal brought along side Federer, whole new different level of tennis. Nadal won 19 masters tournaments, before 25th birthday! 9 Grand slams at age 24.

Agassi is a legend, and that's why is hard for people to accept this new generations of players as better players.

[UchihaGege]

@Ahil982 No I agree with you that nadal has more success then agassi (more n° of GS...etc)

but common, nadal's play is not something new, he is playing a huge amount of topspin and a lot of defensive skill.

Unlike agassi who plays great deal of strategy

[bull864]

@Ahil982 Nadal is great, but the guy wouldn't have a chance to win Wimbledon twenty years ago. That's why I can't say he's better than Agassi. The game has become one-dimensional. Twenty years ago, the different styles of play made it extremely tough to win a major compared to now.

[Boudosaved]

How did you come up with that?

[TropicalBuddha]

As long as Nadal is playing his usual brand of tennis on clay, Federer will never win the French.

[u229758]

RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!

[UltimateUniverse]

Lawls, Nadal pwned by Soderling.

[drwood04]

oops :)

[staarun]

Andre Agassi is the BEST there is the BEST there was the BEST there ever will be!!!long live AGASSI.

[TropicalBuddha]

Congratulations to Agassi on a great career. He did one thing that Roger Federer may never do: win all 4 grand slams.

[therabbit27]

How can you be so sure?

[Samprasisthebest]

Because Federer got RAPED by Nadal recently at Rolland Garros.

[therabbit27]

You're very clever afterwards. So? Does that mean never? Agassi has 8 Slams, Federer has 12 so far. Enough said.

[Samprasisthebest]

"Agassi has 8 slams, Fed has 12 so far. Enough said." Nope, actually Agassi won the one slam Fed hasn't won (Rolland Garros) and Agassi had a MUCH tougher era to win Grand Slam titles in than Fed. He had to play against the likes of Rafter,Ivanisevic, Kafelnikov (who beat Federer several times), PETE SAMPRAS,and of course he weathered into Fed's generation and scored victories against many of Fed's competition,Nadal, Blake, Roddick,Safin etc. etc.Reaching the US Open final at age 35!Enough said.

[therabbit27]

Andre and Pete had a historical rivalry, I agree. But come on! Pat Rafter, Goran and Kafelnikov were a league below. They 3 won five slams altogether.Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to put em down, they're all great individuals, but the same can be said about Hewitt, Nadal, Moya, Djokovic, Safin who are Fed's opponents and all won at least 1 slam.

[therabbit27]

If you had mentioned the late 80s I would've agreed - with Lendl, Edberg, Becker, Johnny Mac, Wilander and the young Andre and Pete there. That was tough.

[wiismashbrosking]

AND Now fed wins french...enough said

[Timurito1]

@Samprasisthebest

Let me guess your are some kind of old fart?

[LegendKiller0084]

@Samprasisthebest cant say that hes better than him now lol....... Nadal, Djokovic all around games that are worthy of Pete Sampras. In place of Goran Ivanisevic we have Andy Roddick who in his prime was bombing 145 mph serves at Roger especially during the 04 Wimby Final, not to mention the always dangerous serving of Soderling the last few years and the rising threat of Del Potro..... Agassis generation was one of the best, but to downplay Fed's generation is just unwise, Roger Federer GOAT...