There is no doubt that Agassi and Sampras are both typical hard-court players. The worst performance of both players' career Grand Slams was the French Open.
Sampras is especially popular.
The world champion's winning rate at the French Open is only a pitiful 64.86%, which is not on the same level as the other three Grand Slams. Even at the peak of his career, every year during the clay court season, Sampras completely lost the game. His control is completely lacking the domineering and elegant style of a ball king.
Until his retirement, Sampras' best results in the French Open were only one semi-final and three other quarter-finals. That's all.
In other words, for Sampras, entering the second week of the French Open, he is very, very struggling.
In comparison, Agassi is slightly better.
Unlike Sampras who serves and hits the net, Agassi is a typical baseline player who relies on his deep baseline skills to be able to handle clay court.
Looking at Agassi's career clay court performance, the French Open winning rate is 76.11%. Although he is not a top player and is at the bottom of his four Grand Slam records, he is very, very close to the first echelon.
Moreover, in terms of best record, Agassi also performed well. At the French Open, he won four quarter-finals, two semi-finals, and three finals, winning one of them——
In the 1999 French Open final, Agassi faced the dark horse unseeded player Andrei Medvedev, who had successively eliminated top seed Sampras and three-time tournament champion Kurten.
"1:6", "2:6", the first two sets were narrowly defeated, but Agassi made a desperate comeback, won three sets in a row, reached the top of the championship, and won the only French Open championship in his career.
It is precisely because of this that in this year's Australian Open final, Agassi saw Gao Wen complete the feat of letting two chase three, and he was still facing Djokovic. Involuntarily, his heart surged, tears filled his eyes, and the overwhelming emotions made him He rarely loses his composure.
Horizontal comparison is clear at a glance.
Compared to Sampras, Agassi's understanding, adaptation, reading, adjustment, etc. of clay soil are obviously better.
Even though Sampras really, really didn’t want to admit it, he still had to admit it——
At least on clay courts, Agassi has more advantages than himself and he should serve as Gauvin's head coach.
For Sampras, this is not an easy task.
He is used to taking the initiative and giving orders. From the past to the present, he has never changed. He is always surrounded by the aura of praise and glory. Every move can set off stormy waves, as if the whole world revolves around him.
He couldn't imagine himself being reduced to a supporting role, he couldn't imagine himself being forgotten by the spotlight, and he couldn't even imagine that he was reduced to an embarrassing and useless person struggling to qualify for the Grand Slam. He refused to imagine that he would lose to a player ranked outside the 300th place in the world and then spend every day. Everyone needs to face failure.
So, he chose to retire. When his career slowly began to decline, he resolutely turned around at the peak of winning the US Open championship again.
At least, he can leave behind a bright and beautiful figure. All the memories on the court are good. There is no need for life to become muddy and ugly and then clean up the mess.
That's the personality of Sampras.
In a sense, this is why Sampras has always refused to coach anyone.
He was worried that his pride might ruin his relationship with his players, leaving him with nothing to lose. He couldn't imagine such a mess.
Until Gawain appeared.
Sampras admitted that just six months of getting along with him allowed him to rediscover the excitement and pleasure of competition, as well as the joy and excitement of victory. Of course, it also included the pain and suffering of defeat. In a daze, he regained I returned to my days as a player and started enjoying tennis again.
One step, another step.
Quietly, imperceptibly, Sampras is transforming into a competent coach, surprising even himself.
In order to enhance Gawain's bottom line stalemate ability, he extended an olive branch to Agassi.
In order to improve Gao Wen's clay court playing ability, he was willing to step back and give up the initiative.
Sincerely, Sampras hopes that Gao Wen can go further and consider Gao Wen wholeheartedly, and has unknowingly switched to coaching mode.
but!
Sampras tossed and turned, struggled and suffered for so long, and finally made up his mind. What happened to Agassi's expression and reaction?
boom!
His head just exploded.
"What's your expression?"
"Are you laughing at me? Or are you questioning my sincerity? Wait, are you saying you don't want to?"
"I have thought over and over again and struggled for so long, and this is your reaction? This is it?"
"I'm just a joke to you, right?"
"Andre Agassi..."
As he spoke, Sampras himself did not realize that his voice was rising, his emotions were getting more and more excited, and the foul language was already rolling on the tip of his tongue, and he was about to spit it out.
Agassi stopped Sampras in time, but didn't say much. He just gestured to the training ground with his eyes.
"You wouldn't want them to know, would you?"
Sampras immediately braked and controlled his temper, but still glared at Agassi fiercely, with an angry look on his face——
He doesn't adapt, isn't used to it, and doesn't like it.
As soon as he said the words, Sampras felt uncomfortable all over his body. This was not his style, so he was like a powder keg, on the verge of exploding at all times.
Agassi knows this old rival, and the more so, the less Sampras wants others to know, and he will definitely do his best to maintain his image.
Sure enough, with a look and a hint, Sampras took control of himself.
Agassi secretly admired Graf——
This trick was actually used by Graf to deal with Agassi. Now Agassi is using it to deal with Sampras, and it is equally efficient and useful.
Therefore, Graf is the real master.
Immediately afterwards, Agassi explained.
"I'm just a little surprised."
"Pete, even you are surprised, let alone me."
Agassi looked at Sampras and smiled slightly.
Sampras was stunned, then raised his hand to brush his hair, touched his pocket, and tried to find a cigarette. It took him a moment to realize that he did not bring the cigarette to the training ground. The curvature of the corner of his mouth was... It went up a bit more.
"I also feel very strange about myself like this."
Agassi shook his head.
"I think this is very familiar to you. It's like returning to the previous arena. We all enjoy the joy of victory, but more than victory, we enjoy competition, fighting, and the excitement of confrontation."
"Just like skydiving, the thrill of free fall is addictive."
Sampras paused and shook his head slightly, "No wonder people always say that the people who know you best are not your friends, but your enemies."
Agassi shrugged, noncommittal, and then brought the topic back up, "Is what you just said true? Are you going to let me take over the clay court season?"
Sampras nodded, but then shook his head, "Don't get me wrong, I am not resigning to give up the position of head coach, I am just adjusting the primary and secondary positions. I am still the head coach of Gao Wen, don't think too much about it. .”
Looking at Sampras' nervous explanation, Agassi laughed happily.
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