- FedExCup Points: 50,000
- Purse: $7.0 million
- Winning Share: $1,260,000
- Yards: 7,547
PGATOUR.com Contributor
LEMONT, Ill. -- Andre Agassi sat in with John McEnroe in the television booth during the quarterfinal match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open last night. (Just bear with me here, you are not on the wrong website.) Andre may not have had the energy or polish of a career broadcaster but he made up for it with insight that went well beyond the scope of the ordinary talking head.
He left comments about ground strokes and overheads to the rest of the team. Andre gave a humble and unique prospective on the championship mindset. He was the nemesis to the two players who will forever be in the discussion of greatest men's singles players of all time -- Boris Becker and Pete Sampras. He also married Steffi Graff, one of the greatest female competitors in any sport.
Although Agassi lost more than he won, he earned respect and more than his fair share of titles. As I watched and listened, I realized that the things that he was saying about Roger Federer easily could have been about Tiger Woods. More importantly, as great a champion as Andre was, on Wednesday night he was in awe. Every golf broadcaster who has covered Tiger over the last decade knows that feeling.
Obviously, tennis is a reactionary sport while in golf you create the action. But Andre said that he has "never seen another player force Fed to change his game plan." "His swing doesn't change according to the score," he added. Sound like anyone we know?
Too many times, we have seen players face Tiger in a late pairing on Sunday only to try to force the issue and falter. Only great players at the top of their games have been able to break that trend, if only for a weekend. Hal Sutton did it at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2000. Phil Mickelson did it on Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Phil, in his own way, has admitted that Tiger has been the inspiration behind his improved fitness and revamped game. He has tried to garner any possible advantage to try to slay the game's No. 1 player. And at times, it has worked, or at least it did a few days ago.
Comparing the dominance of Tiger and Federer has been in vogue lately, and I haven't bitten. If Tiger played more match play tournaments like Walter Hagen then I always felt the comparison would have been more apt. There are simply too many differences between the sports. While comparing major championship totals is interesting, I have always felt that it ignored the only comparison that was fair. Historical comparisons within the respective sports seemed to make more sense even though that science is inexact, as well.
Listening to Agassi talk about Federer's confidence and ability to execute in every situation went beyond the cliché, though. It was obvious Agassi, who won eight majors and finished second seven times, was more than a student of the game. He was a fan. His runner-up finishes included four to Sampras, tennis' all-time grand slam champion. His final runner-up finish came just two years ago at Flushing Meadows when he fell to Federer.
When Agassi discusses players who play at a different level you have to listen. For a time he was one of them, so he recognizes something in these players that goes well beyond the numbers.
We in the media, and players who toil in anonymity and mediocrity, talk of "elevating our games." We see the best players handling shots in crucial situations and think that they are doing something special. What I realized in listening to Andre is that when Tiger makes a couple of birdies on his way in to win a golf tournament or Federer hits a winner in a tie-breaker, it is not the unusual. They expect to make those shots regardless of the situation. They are not impervious to the pressures of the moment. They are simply able to maintain a level of play that got them into that situation. It is not so much about rising to the occasion as embracing the moment and taking advantage of opportunities.
Perhaps that is the difference between players who have flashes of greatness and those who set the standard for it.
