UP FRONT.... ->> - NORMAN SETS SIGHTS ON MAJORS...MAGNUS NORMAN described his 6-1, 7-6(1) defeat against Chile's NICOLAS MASSU in Vina del Mar on Monday night as "probably the happiest defeat of my life." After being warned by doctors that he might never play again after undergoing hip surgery last August, Norman was delighted to be back on court for the first time since August 2001. "Normally you are very upset when you lose, but I was happy because my body was there and I could do what I love most - play tennis. I was told that there was a big chance that I would not play tennis again and I've fought very hard to get back onto the circuit." After seeing countryman Thomas Johansson win the Australian Open, Norman has set his sights on winning Roland Garros. "For the past six months my goal has simply been to come back and play tennis again," said Norman. "Now that my hip is fine, my goal is the same as it has always been - to win Roland Garros. Obviously I have to work on a few things before then - I'm not moving as fast and I have to lose some weight - but my hip is fine. I was very happy to see Thomas win the Australian Open, and I hope that I can get back up there and win a major, too." ->> - CAN HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?...The last time ANDRE AGASSI had a wrist injury and changed his coach, he moved from No. 24 at the end of 1993 to No. 2 a year later. Planning to make his 2002 debut at the Siebel Open in San Jose on February 25 having made a full recovery from his latest wrist injury and with new coach Darren Cahill by his side, Agassi is looking forward to another run at the top. "If history serves as any measuring stick, I'm in perfect shape to play my best tennis," Agassi said during a media day in San Francisco on Wednesday. "When things seem to be working against me has always been the time that I've shined the most." On teaming up with Cahill, the former coach of 2001 year-end No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, Agassi said: "I think Darren's going to bring a new, fresh look to things. I think I will be able to take in what there is to be offered, and I'm going to make a heck of an effort to make myself better as an athlete." On the issue of contracts, Agassi said: "We haven't signed anything. We're going to work together through the hard court season. That's the way I kind of handle things. We come in with goals in mind, both of us, and we're counting on each other to help us accomplish those goals." ->> - DEUCE SET FOR DEBUT...DEUCE, The Official Magazine of the ATP, hits newsstands next week and is available for purchase online now at ATPtennis.com. It will be distributed at all North American ATP tournaments this season, starting with the Kroger St. Jude Tennis Championships in Memphis beginning February 18, and sold at selected tennis pro shops and retailers including Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton and Books-a-Million. "DEUCE provides an in-depth look at men's tennis and many of the personalities on the ATP circuit," says Larry Scott, ATP COO and President of ATP Properties. In DEUCE, the superstars of world tennis are profiled by the biggest names in tennis journalism. Goran Ivanisevic invites Richard Evans to his home in Split to bask in his Wimbledon triumph while Tim Henman goes head-to-head with British journalist Barry Flatman in an exclusive interview. Sally Jenkins examines the dynamics of the Andre Agassi-Pete Sampras rivalry and you'll find profiles on Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Roger Federer. TOURNAMENT TALES ->> - IN MARSEILLE...ARNAUD CLEMENT, who was born in Aix-en-Provence 25 kms from Marseille and is an avid Olympique Marseille supporter, met soccer star Andre Luiz, a mid-fielder for OM...SEBASTIEN GROSJEAN, who joined Clement at an autograph signing session at the Lacoste shop in Rue Paradis earlier in the week, spent some time playing games with 10-year-old fan Kevin, who suffers from the rare neurological illness Friedreich's Ataxia. The meeting was arranged by Arc-en-ciel, a group that organizes activities for children with serious illnesses. "Arc-en-ciel made my dream come true to meet Sebastien Grosjean," said Kevin. "We played together in doubles [at the video game] but we lost." Grosjean, who invited Kevin to the matches in Marseille, said: "He's a very brave kid."...Olympic champion YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV met two of his fellow Russian medallists during the Open 13. Dmitri Stratan and Sergei Garbouzov, who play for the Marseille waterpolo team that currently leads the French league, helped Russia win the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics...JUAN CARLOS FERRERO celebrated his 22nd birthday on Tuesday in Marseille as Open 13 tournament director presented him with a cake in the players lounge. ->> - IN VINA DEL MAR...JEROME GOLMARD, RAMON DELGADO, JAIME FILLOL SNR., JAIME FILLOL JNR. and ADRIAN GARCIA enjoyed a brief voyage Wednesday on the flagship of the Chilean navy, the Esmeralda. The group met with the admiral of Chile's No.1 ship, which was built in Spain in 1940. Delgado said: "I'm so happy I came; it's an unbelievable place and a beautiful boat. It's really worth seeing."...MARIANO ZABALETA, DEVIN BOWEN and MARTIN RODRIGUEZ took time out on Monday to visit a local hospital in Vina del Mar for mentally handicapped children. Zabaleta said he was thankful for the opportunity to bring a little joy to the children. "I was pleased to be able to give the children a little support and make them happy for a short while," said Zabaleta. "It also makes you realize how fortunate you are yourself. Losing a match or missing a flight is of little importance in the big picture."...DAVID NALBANDIAN and ROBERTO MELO were among a number of players and coaches who enjoyed putting to the test their driving skills at a local karting trackÖMARCELO RIOS and NICOLAS MASSU led fellow Chilean players in a full turn out for the BellSouth Clinic for local children. FERNANDO VICENTE, FELIX MANTILLA, JUAN ANTONIO MARIN, ALBERTO MARTIN and MICHAEL RUSSELL also participated. COACHING CAROUSEL...MARC ROSSET has begun working with Philippe Rosant, former coach of Frenchman ARNAUD CLEMENT. MEDIA MONITOR...The Miami Herald's Juan C. Rodriguez liked what he saw from the U.S. Davis Cup victory against the Slovak Republic in Oklahoma City. Writes Rodriguez: "Andy Roddick insists he will never replace Pete Sampras - or anyone else - from an unprecedented generation of players. But that doesn't preclude Roddick from playing like Sampras every now and then. During Sunday's final Davis Cup match, Roddick looked a lot like his hard-hitting peer in crushing a leaping overhead in his 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over the Slovak Republic's Karol Beck at the Myriad. Earlier in the day, James Blake defeated Ladislav Svarc 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, helping the United States complete its first 5-0 Davis Cup sweep since the 1996 opening round against Mexico. 'He's the master of that shot,' said Roddick, a Boca Raton resident, of his Sampras imitation. 'He's pretty much the inventor of it, so I had to give him his due props for that one.'" SAY WHAT... "It's nice to beat him this week." - Greg Rusedski after defeating Thomas Johansson in Marseille just three days after losing to the Swede in the final Davis Cup rubber in Birmingham. "It's always been a dream to make it to Tennis Masters Cup." - Jiri Novak, currently in third position in the ATP Champions Race 2002, sets his sights on Shanghai.

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