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| 2003/08/02 |
Agassi rallies to dethrone Blake
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01:07:52 �.�
Washington, Aug 2 - World number one Andre Agassi, pushed to play his best by fellow American James Blake, rallied to dethrone the defending champion here Friday and reach the semi-finals of the ATP Washington Classic.
The eight-time grand slam champion answered the challenge for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 triumph, avenging a loss to Blake here in last year's semi-finals of the 600,000-dollar hardcourt event.
"Tonight felt like it was going to be a repeat," Agassi said.
"You have got to prove it every time you go out there. It was a high standard. He came out of the gates hard and I really wasn't ready for it."
"I certainly got frustrated. He was playing so well. I'm not used to that feeling, when someone is hitting it so well you can't do much. That was some of the best tennis I have faced."
"It's a little frustrating to play that well and lose, but it was against the best player in the world and he proved it," Blake said.
"Andre had to play some of his best tennis to beat me. That's why he's number one."
"If I could bottle up the way I played, I would take that at the US open. That performance is going to beat a lot of players. Maybe not Andre. The laws of time have to kick in sometime. Maybe when he's 38 i'll be able to beat him."
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