1991: Agassi Beats Korda for 2nd Straight Title
By Alison Muscatine
Washington Post Staff Writer
July 22, 1991
It's hard to blame Andre Agassi for the way he waltzed to his second consecutive title in the Sovran Bank Classic. He was just doing his job. He played about five hours of tennis, defeated five players ranked lower than No. 44, and took home a $77,700 paycheck for his trouble.
If it hadn't been for the steamy weather, he probably wouldn't have broken a sweat all week. In yesterday afternoon's final, the top-seeded Agassi easily defeated 12th-seeded Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia, 6-3, 6-4, at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
"If you're ranked in the top five,"said Agassi, ranked No. 6,"you've got to figure you're going to beat 95 percent of the players."
All week, Agassi politely protested the idea that he was a shoo-in to win, even after potential challengers John McEnroe and Brad Gilbert were upset in early rounds."If I don't rise to the occasion, no telling what will happen,"the two-time champion said."But I am playing my best tennis. I went out there focused. I got through the week rather easily."
Korda, a 23-year-old from Prague with a scrawny build and pointy haircut, is a deceptive left-hander who was appearing in his third career final. A junior champion in Czechoslovakia who comes from a tennis-playing family, his debut professional season four years ago was marred by a series of injuries, including a car accident in which his head went through the windshield. He also suffered from loneliness, traveling around the world for two years without relatives or a coach to support him."It hurts you a lot,"he said.
But six months ago, Korda hooked up with former Czech player Vladimir Zednek, and his progress since has been steady. First, he started to bulk up, adding about 15 pounds to his 6-foot-3, 145-pound frame. Second, he practiced with McEnroe, and he credits those workouts for his high-quality play this week. Although ranked No. 69, his performance here is likely to elevate him into the top 40. According to Agassi, Korda has become a dangerous player and is"capable of beating anybody."
So far, however, he has not discovered a way to beat Agassi. The two had played twice before -- at the U.S. Open last year and the French Open this spring -- and Korda managed to win only one set.
There was a brief moment of drama during yesterday's final, played on Stadium Court in 107-degree heat. In the first game, Agassi committed one of two minor errors he made all day. He misjudged a topspin lob, allowing the ball to graze the tip of his racket, giving Korda an opening to set up two break points. No matter. The 21-year-old from Las Vegas responded like a bull seeing red, pasting two service winners and topping off the game with an overhead and a couple of mischievous down-the-line backhands.
"My goal was to turn it into a physical match, especially in the heat,"Agassi said."I don't think he's as physically fit."
The strategy quickly paid off. Agassi hits the ball so hard that each shot sounds like a champagne cork popping, and early on it seemed that the young Czechoslovak's ears were beginning to ring. Korda futilely sprinted along the baseline as Agassi drilled shots to the corners. A succession of backhands allowed Agassi to rack up the first break and go ahead 4-2.
"That's when the match turned my way,"Agassi said."He wasn't sure if he could keep it up, mentally or physically."Agassi finished off the set losing only one point in his final three service games.
Korda had come into the match hoping that his opponent would wilt from the afternoon heat. Agassi had played his first four matches at night and, because he is a notorious late sleeper, Korda thought Agassi might be sluggish for the 1 p.m. start.
Instead, Korda was the first to wither."It cost me a lot of energy,"said Korda, who played four consecutive afternoons."I was not so quick today. I was a step slower than yesterday. You have to be in really good shape to beat him."
Not that Korda didn't have his chances. He actually had four break points in the match. He needed more than four, however, because Agassi elevated his play on each big point, stealing Korda's few opportunities for a comeback.
"If I'm serving well, the battle is mostly over,"said Agassi, explaining that his serve becomes another weapon when added to his formidable return.
"If I'm not breaking {the opponent}, it's just a matter of time before I do."
The second set was somewhat more successful for Korda, who seemed determined to prove that he wasn't intimidated by Agassi's power. In the first game, he cracked an Agassi-like forehand hard down the line. Cheered on by a small group of Czechs who had attended his matches all week, Korda stayed even with Agassi until he served at 2-2. But some sloppy errors -- a double fault and some errant groundstrokes -- set up triple break point and Agassi took a lead he never relinquished.
After the 65-minute match was over, Agassi attempted to explain the reward he derives from playing such lopsided contests.
"There isn't much that separates a match from being one-sided or even,"he said."If I had lost a break point in the second set, we could be at at 3-all in the third right now."He added that tournaments like the Sovran serve as good preparation for the Grand Slams, particularly the U.S. Open, which begins in late August."I can't limit myself to just playing big tournaments and big players,"he said.
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