Gambill excited about crack at Agassi
Ossian Shine
The daunting spectre of Andre Agassi looms ahead. Jan-Michael Gambill is showing no nerves, though and cannot wait to rip into one of America's greatest tennis players.
The heartthrob from Spokane, Washington State, faces Agassi in a mouthwatering fourth-round clash here at the U.S. Open.
And although he is currently ranked outside the world's top 50, the man nicknamed Hollywood has no intention of following the script.
Agassi has lost just 16 games in three rounds of the tournament he won in 1994 and 1999. Gambill, though, has dropped only 11.
True, his first round match only lasted a set and a bit, but since then he has played with all the aggression of the wild cats he spends his spare time and money supporting and counts seeds Carlos Moya and Gaston Gaudio among his victims.
"If I can keep playing like this I am going to do well here," he said on courtside after wrapping up the 94 minute victory against eighth seed Moya.
Against Gaudio he was even more impressive, crushing the Argentine 6-0 6-2 6-0.
While Agassi is a big test for the American, 25-year-old Gambill knows he is in just the right form to take the challenge.
"He has been playing great tennis, but you know, I've only been broken once, too," he said after disposing of the Argentine.
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"I'm confident going into that match. I played Andre in the finals of LA a couple weeks ago. I know what he did to beat me that day. I know what I need to do to change, to at least give myself an opportunity to win against him.
"There's nobody out here on the tour that I have more respect for on the court and/or off. He's a great guy. It's going to be a tough match. I'm excited about it."
Regardless of the fighting talk, Gambill admits to being intimidated by Agassi, one of only five men to have won all four grand slam titles at least once.
"He still can intimidate on the court. But I need to bring the presence that I've had in these matches out to that court and give it my all," Gambill said.
"I've been having fun playing this week, playing the best tennis I have all year. What better place to do it than at the U.S. Open?
"Going into the matches against him that I've had. Last few times, I didn't think I played great tennis from the baseline. Right now from the baseline, I'm playing great tennis, I think.
"I think I hopefully can match up against him and give him a match. At the same time I'm going to go out there with just a clear head, I'm going to play one point at a time. I'm not going to think about it being Andre Agassi out there.
"If he out-foxes me again, more power to him. I'm going to go out with a clear mind, have a good time, not worry about who is on the other side."
