Agassi Outlasts Dirtballer at ATP Delray BeachPosted on February 2, 2006 Paraguay's Ramon Delgado was in the driver's seat after one set against Andre Agassi Wednesday, but it was the American veteran who in the end blew out the claycourt specialist 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-0 to gain the quarterfinals at the ATP stop in Delray Beach.
Agassi faced two match points serving at 4-5 in the second set, fending off both by uncharacteristically attacking the net. "I figured it's been 20 years -- I might as well try it," said Agassi on his net play. "I might as well come to the net besides for shaking hands. To a certain degree you have to ignore the score and make the guy execute. Obviously, you're aware that you're one point away from being out but you try to say, 'Well, I've got to take my shot. I can't just wait for something to happen here.' But I'm well aware I could have lost with one bad decision there." Agassi was 3-0 entering the match with Delgado, with all four of their career encounters now occurring on hardcourts. Other winners into the quarters were defending champion (3) Xavier Malisse (d. Gimelstob), (6) Florian Mayer (d. Marach), and Guillermo "G-Lo" Garcia-Lopez (d. (Q) Widom). Scheduled for Thursday in Delray are Greul vs. H.-T. Lee, (7) Muller vs. (Q) Salzenstein, (8) Spadea vs. (Q) Kendrick in an all-American, and Pavel vs. (4)Haas. |
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