Agassi v Becker in 3rd Round at US Open
Posted on September 1, 2006It has been seven years since Andre Agassi squared off against B. Becker -- as in Boris Becker -- but on Saturday night Agassi will face B. Becker for the first time -- Benjamin Becker, a U.S. college-educated German who turned pro last year and entered the US Open with a 2-4 win-loss record.
"It's a dream come true," said the 25-year-old Becker, who grew up idolizing Agassi and Becker both. "I was watching the (Agassi second-round) match and obviously I was kind of hoping he would win because, I mean, it's the last time you get a chance to play him. I grew up watching him play. He was an idol for me. I was trying to watch (the match) in the stadium but there were no seats. I had to stand in the alley and then they kicked us out, so I went to the hotel and watched it at the hotel."
Rain is forecast for Saturday, which would be a benefit to the back-addled Agassi, and Becker said regardless, nerves will be an obstacle.
"Definitely I will be nervous tomorrow, I know that," Becker said. "It's just for me how to manage with that. I just try to manage it. I just try to, you know, still play my tennis and not get distracted by the atmosphere and all the people."
Becker said a key to his success will be putting out of his mind facing his idol in his last career tournament, and just taking care of business.
"All I want to do is now go out there tomorrow and win," Becker said. "That's why I play tennis. That's also why I practiced and everything, to play in the atmosphere like that and in a stadium like that against a guy like that, a guy like Agassi. That's what I been looking forward to since I started playing tennis. You know, then we will see what the result is gonna be now."
One question the German hopes he doesn't get from Agassi is if he is related to the German Wimbledon champ.
"If I don't get that question when I play a tournament, I think something's wrong," Becker said. "Every tournament I get at least once. I always have to say no. And then people start asking me, I always -- before they can finish the question, I always say no, because I know what's coming."
"It's a dream come true," said the 25-year-old Becker, who grew up idolizing Agassi and Becker both. "I was watching the (Agassi second-round) match and obviously I was kind of hoping he would win because, I mean, it's the last time you get a chance to play him. I grew up watching him play. He was an idol for me. I was trying to watch (the match) in the stadium but there were no seats. I had to stand in the alley and then they kicked us out, so I went to the hotel and watched it at the hotel."
Rain is forecast for Saturday, which would be a benefit to the back-addled Agassi, and Becker said regardless, nerves will be an obstacle.
"Definitely I will be nervous tomorrow, I know that," Becker said. "It's just for me how to manage with that. I just try to manage it. I just try to, you know, still play my tennis and not get distracted by the atmosphere and all the people."
Becker said a key to his success will be putting out of his mind facing his idol in his last career tournament, and just taking care of business.
"All I want to do is now go out there tomorrow and win," Becker said. "That's why I play tennis. That's also why I practiced and everything, to play in the atmosphere like that and in a stadium like that against a guy like that, a guy like Agassi. That's what I been looking forward to since I started playing tennis. You know, then we will see what the result is gonna be now."
One question the German hopes he doesn't get from Agassi is if he is related to the German Wimbledon champ.
"If I don't get that question when I play a tournament, I think something's wrong," Becker said. "Every tournament I get at least once. I always have to say no. And then people start asking me, I always -- before they can finish the question, I always say no, because I know what's coming."