当前位置: Language Tips> 新闻播报

Agassi in no hurry to be a coach

中国日报网 2014-03-06 10:21

分享到

 

Get Flash Player

Download

As a player, Andre Agassi relied as much on a razor-sharp tennis brain as brute force to collect eight major titles.

There was nothing he relished more, it seemed, than outwitting the heavy hitters with his lightning reflexes, surgical returns and superior strategies.

At times he appeared to be playing a high-speed game of chess on a tennis court, constantly one or two moves ahead of the man on the other side of the net.

No wonder the 43-year-old's eyes lit up at the prospect of following the likes of Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker into coaching.

With American men's tennis experiencing lean times compared to the days of Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and before that Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, the Las Vegas's brainpower would be sought after in the locker room and on the practice courts.

He even named his perfect scenario on Monday - identifying current American No 1 John Isner as the kind of riddle he would enjoy trying to solve - albeit at a later date.

"Coaching is a heavy responsibility," Agassi said before taking on old rival Sampras in an exhibition match for World Tennis Day in London.

"Somebody gets one chance at their career and they trust you with that.

"I love the problem-solving side of the game, it's the part that's most unique and most motivating to me.

"But at the end of the day I'm years away from even considering that, based on my schedule and my responsibilities at this time with my family."

Agassi, who is married to Steffi Graf and has two young children, is not discounting moving into coaching in the future once he has an empty nest at home.

"At a different stage I could see myself enjoying it," said Agassi, who won the last of his Grand Slam titles at the 2003 Australian Open.

"Fundamentally I appreciate the game, I respect the game, I like the game as long as I'm not subjected to the drama.

"I love the interaction with players, the problem-solving. I see the inspiration to do it ... but probably not at this stage."

Unlike Lendl, who coaches Andy Murray, or Becker, now working with Novak Djokovic, Agassi said he would only consider coaching a player struggling to realize his potential - someone like world No 13 Isner, who is yet to advance past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament.

"I would love to focus on someone who is not really maximizing their game," Agassi said.

"I think of interesting players, like John Isner, a player who plays at that level and has that much to bring to the table, and I'd really like to help him cover some distance that's he's yet to do.

"You have to get inside someone's head, figure out getting them from point A to point B, but that's time and that's a big commitment ... and at this stage of my life I don't have the luxury of doing that."

Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Sampras, who won 20 of his 34 matches against Agassi, said he has renewed enthusiasm for the game after not picking up a racket for four years following his retirement in 2003.

While not interested in joining the ranks of former No 1s that have turned to coaching, Sampras picked out Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov as a player he would like to work with.

"Maybe help, not coach," Sampras said of Dimitrov, who has long been tipped as a potential Grand Slam winner.

"Coaching is a big commitment but maybe I could shed a little light on the game. He has the raw talent. He's the real deal."

(中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑)

Agassi in no hurry to be a coach

About the broadcaster:

Agassi in no hurry to be a coach

Lance Crayon is a videographer and editor with China Daily. Since living in Beijing he has worked for China Radio International (CRI) and Global Times. Before moving to China he worked in the film industry in Los Angeles as a talent agent and producer. He has a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Arlington.

 

分享到

中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883561联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。

中国日报网双语新闻

扫描左侧二维码

添加Chinadaily_Mobile
你想看的我们这儿都有!

中国日报双语手机报

点击左侧图标查看订阅方式

中国首份双语手机报
学英语看资讯一个都不能少!

关注和订阅

本文相关阅读
人气排行
搜热词
 
 
精华栏目
 

阅读

词汇

视听

翻译

口语

合作

 

关于我们 | 联系方式 | 招聘信息

Copyright by chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used for any commercial or public use. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 版权声明:本网站所刊登的中国日报网英语点津内容,版权属中国日报网所有,未经协议授权,禁止下载使用。 欢迎愿意与本网站合作的单位或个人与我们联系。

电话:8610-84883645

传真:8610-84883500

Email: languagetips@chinadaily.com.cn